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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 12, Number 12 December 2002 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Islamic Studies Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Musicbook Shelf Business Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Computer Shelf International Studies Shelf Photography Shelf
Military Shelf Judaic Shelf Sports Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Biography Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Education Shelf Metaphysical Shelf
American History Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Poetry Shelf
Hunting/Fishing Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Artbook Shelf
Parenting Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Environmental Shelf Native American Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Psychology Shelf Gardening Shelf Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf
World History Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Travel Shelf Fiction Shelf Library CD Shelf
Literary Shelf Library Science Shelf Library Video Shelf
Political Science Shelf Cookbook Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Beat Until Stiff
Claire M. Johnson
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave. #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
1590580400 $24.95 1-800-421-3976

Claire M. Johnson's Beat Until Stiff deserves enthusiastic mention as a very special title which offers an unusually frank view of the cooking and restaurant scene in San Francisco. Herself a professional and experienced pastry chef, Claire Johnson presents the reader with a lively style that mixes autobiography with culinary and social insights. Highly recommended!

Greasepaint Matadors
Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor
Alpine Publications
PO Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537
0931866561 $19.95 1-800-777-7257

Enthusiasts of rodeo won't want to Missgreasepaint Matadors: The Unsung Heroes Of Rodeo, a guide to the rodeo clowns who put themselves against huge bulls to protect their riders from inquiry. They aren't the show-stoppers but often they are the most important in rodeo bullfighting, and this provides extensive interviews with many great rodeo clowns who have decades of experience in the business. Black and white photos pack the account and compliment some lively narratives.

Red Rock Press
459 Columbus Ave. #114, NY, NY 10024
www.redrockpress.com

Two gorgeous titles are recommended gift picks for the holiday season. Nan Lyons' Gluttony: More Is More (096695730X, $24.95) celebrates eating and the history of foods beginning with the habits of cave dwellers and their first feast. The focus is upon lavish banquets around the world and fun drawings blend with colorful history. Linda Abrams' Vanity: The Art Of Looking Good (09669573 42, $21.95) provides a similar approach as it considers the history of fashion artifacts and personal appearance. Changing fashions, styles, and traditions provide fascinating facts from around the world, embellished with color photos. Both are lively, fun titles.

New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1-800-972-6657 www.amazon.com

Two fine guides provide insights on healing and spirituality that extend beyond solely spiritual confines. Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualization (1577312295, $12.95) uses mental imagery and affirmation to encourage positive life changes: it appeared twenty-five years ago and here is presented in an anniversary edition to attract new audiences to the positive message of life change through meditation, exercises, and self-strengthening techniques. Rhonda Pallasdowney's Complete Book Of Flower Essences (1577311418, $22.95) provides a holistic approach to wellness which provides over forty ways to heal using flower essences. Exercises, flower essence formulas, and links between health and mental and spiritual well being make for an important guide.

Wisconsin Sports Heroes
Martin Hintz
Trails Books
PO Box 317, Black Earth, WI 53515
1931599076 $16.95 trailsbooks.com

Compiled by Martin Hintz, Wisconsin Sports Heroes is an outstanding collection of brief biographical sketches of fifty-four of the greatest Wisconsin athletes in sports that ranges from baseball and running, to surfing to speed skating. Each individual entry features a black-and-white photographs enhancing short yet detailed capsules of the athlete's life and achievements. An excellent survey of Wisconsin's champion sports figures, Wisconsin Sports Heroes should be in every Wisconsin school and community library across the Badger State.

Atlantis In Wisconsin
Frank Joseph
Galde Press, Inc.
PO Box 460, Lakeville, MN 55044
1880090120 $14.95 1-800-777-3454

Atlantis In Wisconsin by Frank Joseph is thoughtful and iconoclastic blend of metaphysics and archaeology, contemplating the possible former existence of the Atlantean civilization and a direct association with the area now known as the state of Wisconsin. From hints of Atlantean legend found in Native American folklore, to the mineralogical and archaeological mysteries hidden in Wisconsin's earth, Atlantis in Wisconsin offers an engaging and challenging hypothesis. Of particular note is a chronology described in a three page appendices called "A Rock Lake Time Line". Enhanced with copious notes, Atlantis In Wisconsin is provocative and thoroughly engaging reading. Also very highly recommended is Frank Joseph's earlier work iconoclastic work, Lost Pyramids Of Rock Lake: Wisconsin's Sunken Civilization (188009004X; $14.95).

The Myth Of The Holy Cow
D. N. Jha
Verso
180 Varick St, 10th fl, NY, NY 10014
1859846769 $22.00 versobooks.com

A book that has been rejected, despised, and burned in India, The Myth Of The Holy Cow by D.N. Jha dares to challenge the traditional Hindu belief that the cow is a sacred animal. The Myth Of The Holy Cow makes the controversial claim that beef was an important ingredient in the cuisine of ancient India, long before the birth of Islam, and allowed in the Brahmanist and Buddhist diet. A meticulously researched, strongly worded, persuasively articulated challenge to long-held religious beliefs, The Myth Of The Holy Cow is a unique and iconoclastic contribution to the study of Hindu beliefs, practices, history, and customs.

Radio Crime Fighters
Jim Cox
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786413905 $45.00 1-800-253-2187

Skilled writer and editor Jim Cox covers over 300 syndicated radio mystery and adventure serials that aired through 1962. All featured series have the common thread of one or more main characters who regularly fights against criminal activities. The series are listed in alphabetical order, with useful information such as when it was on the air, the number of episodes known to exist, names of writers, sound effect artists, actors and more, a summary of the series and its history, and basically everything that can be said to summarize these classic shows in one or two pages. Recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library collections, Radio Crime Fighters is an indispensable, concise organized, and thoroughly "user friendly" reference for radio drama enthusiasts and collectors.

Beyond Cape Horn
Charles Neider
Cooper Square Press
200 Park Avenue S., #1109 NY NY 10003
0815412355 $17.95 1-212-529-3888

Beyond Cape Horn: Travels In The Antarctic is a personal experienced based account of the wonders of Antarctica's landmass and the ocean surrounding it. Written by the late scholar and three-time Antarctic explorer Charles Neider (1915-2001), Beyond Cape Horn is drawn from his third navigation in 1977 of the Antarctic seas on a mission to observe the habitat of the Southern Ocean as it was changing in response to increasing commercial activity. Neider surveys the land, the water currents, the natural life that flourishes in spite of the cold and otherwise inhospitable climate. A vivid and memorable account which is enhanced by extensive interviews with Antarctic explorers such as Sir Charles Wright, Laurence Gould, and Sir Vivan Fuchs (the first man to cross Antarctica's landmass), Beyond Cape Horn is an exceptional blend of personal memoir and scientific treatise which is particular recommended for those who appreciate travel, exploration, and the magnificence of untamed nature.

Roller Coaster
Robert Coker
MetroBooks
c/o Friedman/Fairfax Publishers
230 Fifth Ave., Suite 700, NY, NY 10001
1586631721 $15.98 1-800-367-9692

Roller Coaster is colorful and informative history of roller coasters by Robert Coker covers early models in an introductory chapter than focuses on the heart of the topic: innovations in roller coaster models and modern coaster innovations. The colorful coverage provides a solid, appealing leisure read which should attract a wide audience of those young at heart.

Yuletide Hearth
Katharine Z. Okie
Seitz, Inc.
1010 N. Third St., Harrisburg, PA 17102
1879441977 $21.95 1-800-497-1427

Yuletide Hearth: Christmas In An 1806 Pennsylvania Farmhouse by writer and photographer Katharine Z. Okie is warm, gentle book illustrated with her full-color photographs, about showcasing the celebration of Christmas as it was practiced in a simple country farmhouse nearly 200 years ago. Christmas carols and recreations of how people celebrated this joyous holiday make Yuletide Hearth a seasonal remembrance of love and an American heritage history to be treasured.

Guns Of The Old West
Charles Edward Chapel
Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
0486421619 $16.95 1-800-223-3130

Firearms played an important role in the West, guarding against animals and outlaws alike. Guns Of The Old West is an informative survey which will interest a wide range of readers; from those interested in early firearms, to others who want an accurate narrative of those who used them. Descriptions accompany black and white drawings of rifles, revolvers and other weapons. The history is lively and well done and will interest a large audience.

Genius In Their Own Words
David R. Steele, Editor
Open Court
332 South Michigan Avenue, #1100, Chicago, IL 60604-4434
0812695046 $24.95 opencourtbooks.com

Genius In Their Own Words provides a selection of autobiographical accounts from some of the most profound thinkers of our time; from Einstein to philosopher Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre, and others. These intellectual and psychological reflections provide important insights into the thoughts and reasoning of some of this century's major influential individual.

In Search Of Robinson Crusoe
Tim Severin
Basic Books
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
046507698X $26.00 1-800-242-7737

Daniel Defoe based his famous Robin Crusoe castaway character on the real-life seafaring adventurers of men who were his contemporaries and who did survive for years on isolated islands after shipwrecks. Tim Severin camped out on islands castaways once survived on, and searched South America for the tribes which were a model for Crusoe's companion Man Friday. In Search Of Robinson Crusoe is highly recommended history blended with adventure and travel in a revealing and thoroughly engaging.

Charles Kuralt's People
Charles Kuralt
Kenilworth Media
28 Kenilworth Road, Asheville, NC 28803
0967909619 $25.95 kenilworthmedia.com

Compiled and edited by Ralph Grizzle, Charles Kuralt's People is an anthology of newspaper columns written in 1956 by Charles Kuralt, who was then a print journalist with the Charlotte News. From a newspaper columnist, Kuralt went on to join the fledgling CBS network and became a household name in American television influenced culture. The timeless treasure that is his collected wisdom and recorded insights remains as fresh, eye-opening, and timely today, as it was nearly fifty years ago. An intellectually stimulating collection of insightful and occasionally poignant commentaries, Charles Kuralt's People is very highly recommended reading for students of the human condition in general, and legions of Charles Kuralt fans in particular.

The Immortal Dinner
Penelope Hughes-Hallett
New Amsterdam Books
c/o Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
1332 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60622
1561310719 $27.50 www.ivanrdee.com

The Immortal Dinner: A Famous Evening Of Genius And Laughter In Literary London, 1817 by British author Penelope Hughes-Hallett is a superbly crafted rendition of a legendary dinner party hosted in 1817 by painter B. R. Haydon, and numbering among his guests some of the greatest literary talents of the era: John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Charles Lamb. The Immortal Dinner successfully captures the spirit of that memorable evening, as well as the witty conversation, sober insights, and jocular banter that was exchanged about the topics of the day, in a party to remember. The Immortal Dinner is a vividly presented, unique and highly recommended read which is accented and enhanced with black-and-white illustrations.

Off The Maps
Chellis Glendinning
New Society Publishers
37 Cherry Street, Easthampton, MA 01027
0865714630 $15.95 1-800-283-3572

Off The Maps: An Expedition Deep Into Empire And The Global Economy by psychologist, social activist, poet, and a pioneer in the field of ecopsychology Chellis Glendinning offers a unique look at globalization -- the modern-day alternative to the economic empires of European and Western history. Using maps as allegory, Off The Maps peers between the lines at the individual hopes and lives of workers and the working class at home and abroad as they struggle beneath the crushing spread of politically imperialistic, homogeneous mass-culture invasive, free-trade oriented, international corporation dominated, western-style consumerism. Off The Maps is a welcome and timely contribution which is very highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in international politics and economics.

The Breast Book
Maura Spiegel & Lithe Sebesta
Workman Publishers
708 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0761121129 $13.95 1-800-722-7202

From bare to adorned, The Breast Book collaboratively written by Maura Spiegel & Lithe Sebesta provides a survey of the breast in art and movies from early to modern times. While the subject and short stature of The Breast Book may not lend to easy library shelving or lending, this will prove a pick for any involved in real life art who want a history of changing representations over the decades.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Sword Of Islam
John F. Murphy Jr.
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr, Amherst, NY 14228
1591020107 $26.00 1-800-421-0351

Muslim extremism and issues of terrorism's role in world history are considered in John Murphy's Sword Of Islam , which surveys not only the Middle East but Islam's face around the world. The rise of Arab nationalism, other terrorist plots, and answers to questions of conflict between Arabs and Americans all make for a strong blend of history and social analysis.

Understanding Muslim-West Alienation
Arshad Khan
iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595237096 $14.95 khanbooks.com

Understanding Muslim-West Alienation: Building A Better Future by author, consultant, and academician Arshad Khan is a very straightforward guide written in plain language, to give the non-specialist general reader insights and perspectives into how America is perceived by the Muslim world. Rational, evenhanded, educated, and well-researched, Understanding Muslim-West Alienation summarizes centuries of history culminating in the aftermath of the September 11 attack with an eye toward explaining the conscious and unconscious motivations behind individual and group perceptions. Highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to better understand the background to the current international conflict between the secular west as epitomized by the United States, and Islamic fundamentalism as typified by Al-Qaeda, Hammas, and similar Muslim extremists groups, Understanding Muslim-West Alienation is a timely and particularly welcome contribution to Islamic Studies reading lists and reference collections.


The Self-Help Shelf

Sixty Second Anger Management
Dr. Michael Hershorn
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
0882822209 $14.95 1-800-533-7978

Quick tips to handle explosive feelings are presented in Sixty Second Anger Management, a comprehensive guide which covers all the basics of anger management, from recognizing early warning signs and triggers of increasing anger to understanding communication techniques and how relaxation exercises can help either diffuse or direct anger. An excellent, basic guide.

The Quest For Authentic Power
G. Ross Lawford
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery, #350, San Francisco, CA 94104
1576751473 $17.95 1-800-929-2929

Authentic power comes from within, but such power is best demonstrated as personal strength and not a desire to impose one's will on others. The Quest For Authentic Power by G. Ross Lawford adroitly blends psychology, theology and business theory to outline a new view of power and how to achieve it without manipulation.


The Musicbook Shelf

Pietro Mascagni And His Operas
Alan Mallach
Northeastern University Press
360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
1555535240 $35.00 1-800-666-2211

Exhaustively researched and adroitly written by pianist, composer, and independent scholar Alan Mallach, Pietro Mascagni And His Operas is the informative biography of talented Italian opera writer Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) whose great works include L'Amico Fritz, Guglielmo Ratcliff, Iris, Parisina, and many others. Written with privileged access to Mascagni's 4,200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than thirty years, Pietro Mascagni and His Operas is an eye-opening portrait of a man's complex, talented life and his most remarkable music. Pietro Mascagni And His Operas is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to any Music History collection and "must" reading for anyone who has thrilled to a Pietro Mascagni opera.

The Book Of Klezmer
Yale Strom
A Cappella/Chicago Review Press
814 N. Franklin St., Chicago IL 60610
1556524455 $28.00 1-800-888-4741

Klezmer is a form of Yiddish music, and for a definitive guide to this specialized genre, choose The Book Of Klezmer, Yale Strom's in-depth coverage of the music's entire history. Documentary material, interviews with notable players and luminaries, and many previously unpublished photos of klezmer bands and players covers both the music and the folklore, from the 14th century to the 21st. An important, well detailed coverage.

Deep In A Dream
James Gavin
Alfred A. Knopf
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
0679442871 $26.95 1-800-726-0600

Deep In A Dream is the story of musician Chet Baker provides the first major biography of the jazz musician, covering his impact and influence on the music scene from his emergence in the 1950s to his violent death in 1988. Hundreds of interviews and new sources contribute to a powerful biography, which covers both his startling rise and his heavy fall. An outstanding achievement.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: An Oral History
Lee Ballinger
XT377 Publishing
PO Box 341305, Los Angeles, CA 90034
www.skynyrdoralhistory.com
0972044639 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Lynyrd Skynyrd: An Oral History by Lee Ballinger (West Coast Editor of "Rock & Rap Confidential") is a unique and informative history of the Lynyrd Skynyrd rock-n-roll band as seen through the eyes and told in quotes of the people who were around them before, during, and after their sometimes legendary performances -- as well as the 1977 plan crash that killed almost half of the original band. Consisting entirely of quotes and brief vignettes by different people concerning various topics and performances concerning the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd is highly readable, fascinating to flip through, distinctive in its presentation, and highly recommended reading for rock 'n roll enthusiasts in general, and the legions of Lynyrd Skynyrd fans in particular.

Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002
Jonathan Lethem & Paul Bresnick, eds.
Da Capo Press
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306811669 $15.00 1-800-242-7737

Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002 is the third volume in a series which hand-picks the year's best writing about music, covering all genres and providing a host of literary articles reflecting on music's personalities, evolution, and content. From a survey of the underground New Orleans rap scene from an insider's stand to a composer of haiku for Eminem and details on Bob Dylan and Louie Armstrong, Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002 holds something for everyone.

Earth & Sky
Laurie Lewis
Confluence Press
Alice B. Acheson (publicity)
Lewis-Clark State College
500 Eighth Avenue, Lewiston, ID 83501-2698
1881090418 $20.00 confluencepress.com

Expertly compiled by Laurie Lewis (twice named Female Vocalist Of The Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, winner of the Song Of The Year and recipient of a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album), Earth & Sky: The Laurie Lewis Songbook is an impressive sheet music collection in a trade paperback format of classic and emotional songs. Earth & Sky is enhanced with 74 black-and-white photographs underscoring the presentation of warmhearted lyrics and moving melodies. Highly recommended for country music enthusiasts in general, and Laurie Lewis fans in particular, Earth & Sky is also available in a hardcover edition with accompanying music CD (1881090426, $50.00)

Creating Your Own Great DVDs and CDs
Mark Chambers
Prentice Hall Press
240 Frisch Court, Paramus, NJ 07652
0131001051 $19.99 1-800-631-8571

Owners of DVD or CD recorders may not be making the most of their equipment: Creating Your Own Great DVDs and CDs covers everything on making your own items; from choosing among different equipment features to installing a CDRW or DVDRW drive, preparing a PC to record, and using various software packages which typically come bundled with recorders. A section on troubleshooting and plenty of quality enhancement tips make this an invaluable reference.

PC Music Home Studio
R. Petelin & Yu Petelin
Alist Publishing
205 E. Swedesford Rd., PMB 285, Wayne, PA 19087
1931769079 $39.95 www.amazon.com

PC Music Home Studio: Secrets, Tips, & Tricks would have appeared in our computer column but its value to any musician or home recording artist makes it an item not to be missed by any with a love for composing, performing, and recording their own music. PC Music Home Studio provides technical and special information on processing sound using specialized computer programs. From specific computer music programs and methods of working with them to understanding how sound is edited, compressed, and filtered, PC Music Home Studio is a solid technical multimedia guide highly recommended for all levels of computer users and musicians.

In The Right Direction
Samuel D. Gilleylen
Future Mix Publications
Box 181356, Memphis, TN 38181-1356
0972304207 $24.99 www.FutureMix.biz

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, In The Right Direction: A Beginner's Guide To Starting A Record Label by musician, songwriter, and music arranger Samuel D. Gilleylen is a user-friendly, step-by-step, instructional guide to navigating the challenging and often confusing business world of publishing and/or producing music for profit. Individual chapters address the basics of copyrights and royalties, publicity, using the internet for cost-effective promotion, and much, much more. A superb primer and introduction for up-and-coming songwriters, In The Right Direction is a complete, accessible reference that can make all the difference between success and failure for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to launch their own labels.

Routledge
29 West 35th Street, NY, NY 10001-2299
1-800-634-7064

Two excellent titles will appeal to very different musical audiences. Larry Sandberg's Acoustic Guitar Styles (0-415-93727-2, $24.95) provides beginners with easily followed instructions and practice pieces which are real songs, not just finger exercises. Instructions are demonstrated through an accompanying cd plus both guitar tablature and standard notation, while a variety of musical styles are probed. The final volume in the weighty Garland Encyclopedia of World Music is out: World's Music: General Perspectives And Reference Tools (0-8153-1084-6, $250.00) sports a hefty price tag which will limit it to reference libraries strong in music; but the title caps a comprehensive 10-volume set on the topic and should not be missed by any serious world music library. From indexes for the set to bibliographies ranging from videos to books, this is packed with excellent reference source material.


The Business Shelf

Borrowing To Build Your Business
George M. Dawson
Upstart Publishing Company
c/o Dearborn Financial Publishing, Inc.
155 North Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
1574100734 $16.95 1-800-621-9621

Borrowing To Build Your Business: Getting Your Banker To Say "Yes" by small business advisor George M. Dawson (University of Texas at San Antonio Small Business Development Center) is a straightforward, "reader friendly" guide to convincing any bank loan officer to solidly back an entrepreneurial or corporate enterprise. From selecting the best possible banker, to being aware of the pressures on banks and bankers, to the test of the five big C's (Character, Capacity, Condition, Collateral, and Capital), Borrowing To Build Your Business is a first-rate and highly recommended primer of solid, basic, practical advice that every business owner should know before seeking to secure financial assistance from a lending institution.

Business Decisions
Larry J. Eriksson
Quarter Section Press
c/o Eriksson Research, LLC
6105 Fairfax Lane, Madison, WI 53718
0972187502 $15.95 execpc.com/~erikres

In Business Decisions, Larry J. Eriksson draws upon his extensive 30 year career in the corporate world to provide business student and the non-specialist general reader with a carefully written look at how corporate mergers and the rise of global capitalism affect the lives of ordinary citizens today. Focusing in particular on the Wisconsin economy by way of example and illustration, the individual chapters address the ups and downs of being a small business, recent changes in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, how a corporation is controlled, problems with the loss of economic diversity as corporations become simultaneously larger and fewer in number, and what can be done to return to more adaptive management styles. Business Decisions is a thoughtful, insightful, useful, and thoroughly "reader friendly" look at economic evolution in the corporate community.

Your Authentic Self
Ric Giardina
Beyond Words
20827 NW Cornell Rd. #500
Hillsboro, OT 97124-9808
1582700753 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Your Authentic Self: Be Yourself At Work is reviewed here for its special applications to the workplace. The author says we can be authentic at work and tells how creativity, innovation, and intuition can all be applied to the work environment for better job performance. Individual chapters aptly present techniques and exercises specifically designed to foster this personal and spiritual quest in the workplace.

Switched-On Quality
John Guaspari
Paton Press
PO Box 44, Chico, CA 95927-0044
0971323127 $24.95 patonpress.com

Switched-On Quality: How To Tap Into The Energy Needed For Fuller And Deeper Buy-In by John Guaspari is a straightforward guide to getting workers to put more effort into the task at hand, for a higher quality product, more satisfied customers, and greater bottom-line profitability. Individual chapters address in the importance of creating true value in a product, how to avoid "next big thing-ism", the difference between quality and value, and a great deal more. Switched-On Quality is confidently recommended as an energetic and insightful self-improvement guide for all business managers whether they are running small family companies or overseeing international corporate conglomerates.

Office Kaizen
William Lareau
ASQ Quality Press
600 North Plankinton Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203
0873895568 $30.00 1-800-248-1946

Office Kaizen: Transforming Office Operations Into A Strategic Competitive Advantage by William Lareau (co-owner of Implementation Services, a management consulting firm specializing in implementation) is a solid and imminently practical guide to streamlining and maximizing the efficiency of routine and exceptional office operations. Individual chapters adroitly address minimizing and eliminating wasteful redundancy, provide pointers to keep in mind when planning mentorship and training programs, and descriptively explain the SLIM-IT system for achieving positive change. An excellent all-around cost-cutter, in terms of both time and money, Office Kaizen is especially recommended for the novice office manager, and has a great deal of value to offer even the more experienced business administrator or supervisor.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Taekwondo Spirit And Practice
Richard Chun
YMAA Publication Center
4354 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA, 02131
1886969221 $15.95 www.ymaa.com

Taekwondo Spirit and Practice: Beyond Self-Defense by Grand Master Richard Chun (President of the United States Taekwondo Association and Special Assistant to the President of the World Taekwondo Federation) is the personal experience and expert testimony of a true 9th Dan Grandmaster in the respected and disciplined martial art of Taekwondo, who blends his journey from Korea to America and his strength in rising to the challenge of adapting to a strange language and culture to the life lessons of the art itself. Embracing the physical and spiritual virtues of Taekwondo as a venue for self-improvement, Taekwondo Spirit And Practice is an emotional and spiritual supplement to martial arts philosophy shelves and strongly recommended reading for students of the Martial Arts in general, and Taekwondo in particular.


The Computer Shelf

Sams Teach Yourself EJB In 21 Days
Ragae Ghaly & Krishna Kothapalli
Sams Publishing
201 W. 103rd St, Indianapolis, IN 46290
0672324237, $39.99, www.mcp.com

Sams Teach Yourself EJB In 21 Days introduces the development and deployment aspects of EJB, the fastest growing standards in developing Java applications in an enterprise environment. EJBs are, functionally, distributed network aware components for developing secure, scalable, transactional and multi-user components in a J2EE environment. Sams Teach Yourself EJB In 21 Days covers the new features of EJB 2.0, such as local interface, CMP, and CMR. It provides hands-on examples based on practical solutions found in the industry, as well as a wealth of tips and best practices which give the beginner an edge to avoid repeated common mistakes. The review questions provide the reader with a study guide. Source code for a complete credit approval process in a transactional e-Commerce environment is provided. 600 pages, Beginner-to-Intermediate

Build, Upgrade, And Repair Your Computer
Mike Harris & Tony Harris
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Cir., Boulder, CO 80301
1581603568 $24.00 paladin-press.com

Now in a newly revised and fully updated edition, Build, Upgrade, And Repair Your Computer by do-it-yourself computer hardware experts Mike and Tony Harris is a useful and "user friendly" instructional guide to purchasing and assembling the hardware necessary to personally building a computer tailored to suit particular and individual needs. Individual chapters articulately address learning the basics of computer jargon, choosing the best software and hardware, precise and specific manipulations with screwdrivers, troubleshooting, and a great deal more. Build, Upgrade, And Repair Your Computer is very highly recommended, especially for the upbeat, take-control, self-reliant, computer enthusiast.

Special Edition Using Macromedia Fireworks X
Jeffrey Bardzell
Que Publishing
201 W. 103rd St, Indianapolis, IN 46290
0789727269, $44.99 www.mcp.com

From the new features in version X to advanced integration and extensibility issues, Special Edition Using Fireworks X is a comprehensive and visually captivating reference for Web graphics professionals. This "user friendly" instructional reference explores the ways that Fireworks can be used by teams collaborating on content including using Libraries, Symbols, and proper project management techniques It also provides coverage of Fireworks' animation and interactive features (behaviors) including the Live Animation tool. Also discussed is the emerging use of Fireworks as a whole page design/comping tool, as opposed to a tool used for making individual page elements, as well as concern over interface design and usability, which goes hand-in-hand with whole page design issues Special Edition Using Fireworks X provides coverage of image optimization and export options as well as how to use Fireworks in conjunction with Photoshop 6. Advanced topics on automating and extending Fireworks are also covered. 744 pages, Intermediate-Advanced

C Programming For The Absolute Beginner
Michael Vine
Premier Press
5026 Winthrop Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46205
1931841527 $29.99 1-800-428-7267

Deftly written by software engineer and applications developer Michael Vine, C Programming For The Absolute Beginner truly lives up to its title. No previous familiarity with the art of computer programming is required to understand and learn from the lessons provided, all of which revolve around simple game creation in a learn-through-doing process. Basic C Programming tasks such as initializing variables, creating two-dimensional arrays, manipulating strings, and using compound if structures, are among the many core building block abilities taught by this superbly written and presented introductory guide. An accompanying CD contains a gcc C compiler and the Cygwin free UNIX shell makes Michael Vine's C Programming For The Absolute Beginner and absolute "must" for anyone wanting to learn C Programming from scratch.

Learning C#
Jesse Liberty
O'Reilly & Associates
90 Sherman Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
0596003765 $34.95 www.oreilly.com

Clearly and accessibly written by Jesse Liberty (President of Liberty Associates, Inc. which provides .NET training, contract programming, and consulting services), Learning C# is a straightforward and "reader friendly" instructional guide to the fundamentals of C# and .NET programming. Individual chapters address the basics of object-oriented programming, essentials of the C# language, and the basic concepts that any C# programmer needs to understand such as inheritance and polymorphism, overloading operators, throwing and catching exceptions, looping and branching, string objects, debugging, and other such integral building blocks of solid programming. Learning C# is an especially excellent reference source, particularly for programmers new to C# language.

Perseus Publishing
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
1-800-242-7737 www.amazon.com

Two 'weblog' guides are providing computer users with basic guides to how these logs are changing user lives. For an easy introduction, choose Rebecca Blood's Weblog Handbook (0-7382-0756-X, $14.00): it explores how such logs work, their impact on media, and how to participate in a weblog. An intriguing and informative survey of different kinds and styles of weblogs and how they foster new communities. The editors of Perseus Publishing's We've Got Blog (0741-1, $20.00) also explore the new trend of self-published web-based logs and journals. Weblogs are self-publishing at its strongest and its worst. This explores the origins, trends, and pros and cons of weblogs.

Color Correction For Digital Video
Steve Hullfish & Jaime Fowler
CMP Books
600 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
1578202019 $49.95 cmpbooks.com

Collaboratively written and presented by multimedia and digital video experts Steve Hullfish (Big Idea Productions) and Jaime Fowler (Digital Media Education Center), Color Correction For Digital Video: Using Desktop Tools To Perfect Your Image is a practical and enthusiastically recommended tutorial to improving the quality of one's digital video multimedia works. Full-color illustrations, clear and exacting text, step-by-step instructions and a wide range of tips make Color Correction For Digital Video a first-rate guide. A companion CD-ROM includes graphic files for the book's tutorial projects, software tools, plug-ins, as well as full-length interviews with experts.

Internet Site Security
Erik Schetina, et al.
Addison Wesley Professional
75 Arlington St, #300, Boston, MA 02116
0672323060 $39.99 www.awl.com

Collaboratively written by Erik Schetina (CTO for TrustWave Corporation), and TrustWave Corporation senior security engineers Ken Green and Jacob Carlson, Internet Site Security is a much-needed and completely "user friendly" instructional guide to implementing solid and reliable security measures for a personal or professional internet site. Individual chapters provide an informationally useful overview of basic types of security, and address specific issues such as network and application protocols (TCP/IP), operating system and server software issues from Windows NT and 2000 to Linux and Unix, Intrusion-Detection Systems, common security mistakes in internet applications, and much, much more. Internet Site Security is a very highly recommended (if not downright indispensable) resource for surviving in today's era of cyber-crime.

The Book Of Visual Studio .NET
Robert B. Dunaway
No Starch Press
555 De Haro St., San Francisco CA 94107
1886411697 $49.95 www.nostarch.com

The Book Of Visual Studio .NET: A Guide For Developers by Robert B. Dunaway (System Architect in Software Development for Strategic Data Systems) is a direct and accessible guide to learning the ins and outs of the various tools applicable to Visual Studio .NET, including ASP.NET, VB.NET, and XML Web Services. Hands-on examples, black-and-white screenshots, and thoroughly "user-friendly" text present complex concepts in an unambiguous and easy-to-assimilate manner. The Book Of Visual Studio .NET is confidently recommended as being a solid, competent introduction for newcomers to the world of .NET technology.

Windows XP Professional Security
Chris Weber and Gary Bahadur
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2600 Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0072226021 $49.99 www.osborne.com

Collaboratively written by security and networking consultant Chris Weber and Gary Bahadur (co-founder and CIO of Foundstone, Inc., a company that provides vulnerability management software, consulting, and training services to Fortune 500 clients), Windows XP Professional Security is an extensive and reliable guide to implementing and managing as secure a Windows XP environment as current technologies make possible. Individual chapters discuss a wide range of security-related topics including password management, firewalls, ways to prepare a computer system for the worst, and easy-to-understand instructions for taking advantage of all the new Windows XP security settings and features. A first-rate resource, Windows XP Professional Security should be required reading for anyone using Windows XP for personal, professional, or corporate purposes.

The LightWave 7.5 Primer
Patrik Beck
Charles River Media, Inc.
20 Downer Ave., Hingham, MA 02043
1584502223 $49.95 charlesriver.com

The Lightwave 7.5 Primer by professional animator Patrik Beck (Founder of Electric Crayon Studio) clearly, carefully, and accessibly instructs the reader in the fundamentals of using the LightWave toolset to craft three-dimensional animation. Individual chapters adroitly address the basics of LightWave, techniques for crafting surfaces with texture and luminosity adjusted to the right degree, animating object deformation, particles, hypervoxels, and much, much more. Numerous samples and black-and-white photographs enhance out the thoroughly "reader friendly" text. An accompanying CD-ROM offers a small but utilitarian library of files useful for undertaking the instructional projects of the primer, including images, objects, scenes, color versions of the book's figures, and rendered animations in MPEG and QuickTime. The LightWave 7.5 Primer is an essential and very highly recommended instructional reference for the novice, and has a great deal of informational value to offer even the more experienced LightWave user.


The International Studies Shelf

Blood Diamonds
Greg Campbell
Westview Press
550 Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301
0813339391 $26.00 1-800-242-7737

For over ten years Sierra Leone was devastated by civil war, but nothing contributed to its downfall more than the diamond, which funded rebel groups, served as the foundation for attacks and bloodshed, and destroyed the lives of its people. Blood Diamonds exposes the integral role diamonds played in the process of war in the country, creating an eye-opening story of bloodshed in the name of wealth.

The Blood Of Abraham
Jimmy Carter
The University of Arkansas Press
McIlroy House, 201 Ozark Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557282935 $21.95 1-800-626-0090

Published in a new and affordable trade paperback edition by The University of Arkansas Press, The Blood Of Abraham: Insights Into The Middle East offers interested readers the unique perspectives and insights by former President Jimmy Carter into the political turmoil of the core Middle Eastern countries that are so much in the forefront of today's "War on Terrorism" international policy discussions. President Carter essentially demystifies and describes each nation's political, economic, and international expectations, their differing goals, and their principle socioeconomic and international concerns. President Carter is one of the very few American statesmen whose reasoning and encouragements are taken at face value by Jews, Muslims, and Christians both in the Middle East and here at home. Also very highly recommended for students of Jimmy Carter's thought and contributions to international studies, political studies, and personal life are his other titles now made available to the reading public by The University of Arkansas Press: Keeping Faith: Memoirs Of A President (1557283303, $34.95); A Government As Good As Its People (1557283982, $22.50); Why Not The Best?: The First Fifty Years (1557284180, $21.95); An Outdoor Journal (1557283540, $24.95). Of related and noteworthy interest is Rosalynn Carter's First Lady From Plains (1557283559, $24.95).

Bounded Missions
Craig L. Arceneaux
Penn State University Press
820 North University Drive, University Park, PA 16802-1003
0271021047 $35.00 www.psupress.org

Bounded Missions: Military Regimes And Democratization In The Southern Cone And Brazil by Craig L. Arceneaux (Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo) is an extensive and articulated survey and analysis of civil-military relations and history, especially during the latter half of the twentieth century. Ranging from revolution in Argentina to the controlled transition in Brazil, Bounded Missions offers extensively researched and detailed data, all while drawing erudite and insightful conclusions on the history and future of nations. Bounded Missions is highly recommended for Latin American Studies, Political Science, and Military History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Photography Shelf

Photography Past Forward
Aperture
20 East 23rd Street, NY, NY 10010-4463
0893819964 $50.00 1-800-929-2323

Photography Past Forward is a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of "Aperture" magazine enhanced with the kind of visual imagery (excerpted from issues of Aperture ranging from 1952 to 2002) that Aperture is so closely identified with, and enhanced with a informative history of this world-class publisher by R. H. Cravens. The essence and mission of Aperture was to be a forum where serious photographers could communicate about the nature of their art. Visual and textual highlights from fifty years of sharing fill Photography Past Forward, which numerous select photographs - some in color, most in black and white - as well as quotes and articles offering timeless wisdom and advice to aspiring photographers everywhere. Photography Past Forward is a strongly recommended and memorable visual treat for all dedicated students and practitioners of the photographic arts.

Scotland: The Wild Places
Colin Prior
Constable/Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
1841193151 $45.00 1-800-423-4525

Fans of Scottish images will find Scotland: The Wild Places a powerful gift choice that presents some special images. Photographer Colin Prior utilized a specialized panoramic camera to capture these expansive images of Scotland's wild places: Scotland: The Wild Places is an impressive and memorable collection of superb landscape photography which is organized around solstices and equinoxes, and clearly excels at capturing images of light which fairly leap from the page. A lovely coffee table gift item.

Cow Dogs
David R. Stoecklein, photographer
Stocklein Publishing
Graphic Arts Center Publishing, dist.
PO Box 856, Ketchum, ID 83340
1931153205 $35.00 1-800-452-3032

Cow Dogs by master photographer David R. Stoecklein is a captivating treasury of full-color photographs featuring a cowboy's dog. Each page has a striking visual image of capable animals who are indispensable canine companions for working cowboys, accentuated with a tongue-in-cheek quote. A joy to page through especially for dog lovers, Cow Dogs is a unique and welcome addition to personal and community library photography collections -- as well as recommended browsing for dog lovers on or off of a cattle ranch.

Photographing The Southwest, Volume 1
Laurent Martres
PhotoTripUSA
c/o Graphie International, Inc.
8780 19th St, #199, Alta Loma, CA 91701
0916189082 $19.95 phototripusa.com

Photographing The Southwest, Volume 1: Southern Utah & Southwestern Colorado by experienced photographer Laurent Martres is a thorough and "user friendly" guide to the wondrous natural landscapes found in the southern regions Utah and Colorado -- especially for casual photographers looking for unforgettable scenes to capture with shutter and memory. Extensive site descriptions, black-and-white photographs, tips, tricks, techniques, and a great deal more of interest and value for both amateur and experienced natural photographers solidly pack this guide to "off the beaten track" locations, rock art, early Native American dwellings, all major national parks, monuments, state national parks. Also very highly recommended for any dedicated photographer's personal or professional reference shelf is the companion volume: Photographing The Southwest, Volume 2: Arizona & New Mexico (0916189090, $16.95).

The Sacred Balance
David Suzuki, et al.
Greystone Books/Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec St., Suite 201, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 4S7
1550549669 $30.00 douglas-mcintyre.com

Collaboratively compiled by geneticist David Suzuki, documentary film maker Amanda McConnell, and photo researcher Maria DeCambra, The Sacred Balance: A Visual Celebration Of Our Place In Nature is an inspirational collection of photographs from around the world, supplemented with wise and thoughtful commentary about human beings and their affinity for the natural world. Captivating images and insightful observations balance one another perfectly in this unique presentation which is especially recommended for students of ecology and the diverse and manifold wonders of the natural world.

Lee Miller: Portraits From A Life
Richard Calvocoressi
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0500542600 $45.00 1-800-233-4830

Compiled and captioned by Richard Calvocoressi (Director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh), Lee Miller: Portraits from a Life is an amazing collection of memorable and visually impressive black-and-white photographs taken by the extraordinary fashion model and professional photographer Lee Miller, who began to study the craft of capturing life with a camera in Paris during 1929. A complete range of Lee Miller's moving and inspirational photographs is presented, with each with a brief caption offering a little background on the setting and people. A significant contribution to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Photography reference collection, Lee Miller: Portraits From A Life a truly captivating, highly recommended gallery showcasing the work of a very remarkable and talented woman.


The Military Shelf

Normandy: The Search For Sidney
Thomas Bates & Eric Lummis
Bates Books
PO Box 5023, Berkeley, CA 94705-0023
0945992033 $29.95 batesbooks.com

A dual language book with its text in both English and French, Normandy: The Search For Sidney by Thomas J. Bates and Eric Lummis is an extensively, meticulously researched history and vividly presented narrative journey, which reveals the authors' search for the battle site in Normandy where one man, Corporal Sidney Bates, held back a force of panzer-grenadiers almost singlehandedly and paid for his valor with his life. Normandy: The Search For Sidney also reveals the courage of a French woman and her family in the tumultuous events up to and surrounding D-Day, and an amazingly detailed chronicle of the 1 Suffolk infantry during the D-Day battles that changed history. Black-and-white photography enhances this vivid, visceral narrative which is an especially recommended contribution to Military History collections in general, and World War II European Theatre military buff in particular.

The Young Draftee
Monte Howell
Writer's Showcase/iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595226140 $12.95 iuniverse.com

The Young Draftee is the autobiographical story of Monte Howell, an inexperienced young adult, who at age 18 was thrust into the horrors of World War II in the South Pacific. Howell faithfully and candidly relates what life on the frontline was like in the Pacific Theatre with its ruthless and deadly battles, unbearable climate, treacherous terrain, and exotic diseases, as well as the terrible blood toll which surround his life and the lives of his fellow combatants in a vividly told, gripping narrative. Howell also covers the end of the war in terms of his army discharge and what it is like looking back down the years at those earlier times. Enhanced with his own charts, maps and photographs, Monte Howell's The Young Draftee is an invaluable, eye-witness account and a welcome, much appreciated contribution to the growing library of World War II memoirs and autobiographies from a generation swiftly passing from amongst us.

Pacific Carrier
Reuben P. Kitchen, Jr.
The Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co.
1250 Fairmont Avenue, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
1877853631 $24.95 nauticalaviation.com

Pacific Carrier: Saga Of The USS Yorktown CV-10 In WW II is researched and written by Reuben P. Kitchen, Jr. (whose father served aboard the Yorktown in the West Pacific during World War II). This is the compelling story of a warship that carried the fight to Japan after the first Yorktown CV-5 was destroyed at the Battle of Midway. Focusing especially upon the strenuous efforts of the air crews and sailors, Pacific Carrier is a dramatic, attention captivating, highly recommended presentation of the real-life struggle to survive during war on the high seas.

Zero Dark Thirty
Samuel Brantley
Hellgate Press
PO Box 3727, Central Point, OR 97502
1555716245 $15.95 1-800-228-2275

Zero Dark Thirty is a military memoir of the Vietnam War, by Samuel Brantley, who was a United States Marine Corps combat aviator. The Marines required their combat aviators in Vietnam to spend time doing forward air control duty on the ground, with and along side the field troops in the front line danger zone. As a result, Brantley received a shocking awakening to the true horrors of war, and his seven months on the ground would significantly impact upon the rest of his life. Zero Dark Thirty is highly recommended for being a powerfully written, vividly presented, and candidly honest exposition into the lethal and bloody hell that was the Vietnam War.

Red Wings Over The Yalu
Xiaoming Zhang
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
1585442011 $39.95 1-800-826-8911

Red Wings Over The Yalu: China, The Soviet Union, And The Air War In Korea by military historian Xiaoming Zhang (Texas A&M International University) is an informed and informative survey and analysis of the military history and international politics of the Korean War. Focusing in particular on the Chinese point of view, Red Wings Over The Yalu is extensively detailed in its presentation and enhanced with black-and-white photographs of Chinese military aircraft and the men who flew them. An invaluable contribution to Korean War military history reference shelves and reading lists, Red Wings Over The Yalu is a seminal and highly recommended addition to any personal or academic Military History reference collection.

How To Locate Anyone Who Is Or Has Been In The Military
Lt. Col. Richard S. Johnson
Debra Johnson Knox
MIE Publishing
PO Box 17118, Spartanburg, SC 29301
1877639508 $22.95 www.militaryusa.com

Now in its eighth edition, How To Locate Anyone Who Is Or Has Been In The Military, collaboratively written by Lt. Col. Richard S. Johnson and Debra Johnson Knox, is a direct, easy-to-use, "reader friendly", how-to-guide packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for finding anyone with an American military connection, whether they are active duty, reserve, or retired. From steps anyone can take to verify claims of a military background, to locating veterans for a reunion, How To Locate Anyone Who Is Or Has Been In The Military is packed with practical, useable information, directories, Internet sources, and much, much more. To put it simply but accurately, How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Ben in the Military is an excellent and useful resource.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Moadim Lesimcha
Rabbi Shlomo Aviner
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers, Inc.
3709 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218
www.UrimPublications.com
9657108446 $22.00

Moadim Lesimcha: Explorations Into The Jewish Holidays celebrates the author's love for the rich cultural heritage that lies within Jewish festivals, and also offers author Rabbi Shlomo Aviner's thoughtful comments on the present and future state of the world from a Judaic perspective. Emphasizing that taking care of the physical world is as important as developing the spiritual world through the study of the Torah, and claiming that too much stringency in keeping a clean and orderly house promotes harm and disharmony, among many other points, Moadim Lesimcha is a profound, informative and thought-provoking treatise, and a highly recommended addition to personal and academic Judaic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Heaven On Earth
Rabbi Faitel Levin
Kehot Publication Society
291 Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
0826604889 $20.00 kehotonline.com

Heaven On Earth is a thoughtful amalgamation of reflective commentaries on the theology of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Author Rabbi Faitel Levin reviews and discusses metaphysical concepts such as the drama of creation and the language and logic of Dirah Betachtonim, the spiritual role and function of Mitzvot, the afterlife, and much more. A profound testimony, written with careful, scrupulous reasoning, which is invested with a palpable emotional strength, Heaven On Earth is highly recommended reading and a significant, much appreciated contribution to Judaic Studies collections and reading lists.

Shalom Y'all
Vicki Reikes Fox & Bill Aron
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
1565123557 $24.95 1-800-722-7202

Shalom Y'all: Images Of Jewish Life In The American South is a unique treasure trove of black-and-white images by professional photographer Bill Aron in which he expertly capturing images of Jewish daily life, culture, and tradition in America's southern states. Homes, shops, places of worship, and people young and old are vividly portrayed in these striking visuals, with a bare minimum of commentary by Vicki Reikes Fox (Founding Project Director of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience) rounding out the collection. A joy to simply page through, Shalom Y'all is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to both personal and academic photography collections, as well as Judaic Studies reference collections.

A Woman's Voice
Sarah Foner
Dailey International Publishers
19 Brookside Cir., Wilbraham, MA 01095
0966625129 $21.95 fonerbooks.com

A Woman's Voice is comprised of the writings of Sarah Menkin Foner (1854-1936), a Jewish woman who wrote during the Haskalah time period, and who penned her thoughts and concerns about arranged marriages, the restricted social status of Jewish women in Eastern European society, and Zionism. Sarah Foner had very sharp criticisms of religious intolerance, and expressed even harsher antipathies against the various factitious conflicts that diverse Jewish groups engaged against one another in spite of violence committed against them by Russians and Poles, and much, much more. Six of her works are adroitly translated into English by Morris Rosenthal in this powerful, thought-provoking, highly recommended anthology of a truly remarkable and articulate woman.


The Sports Shelf

StockcarToons
Mike Smith
Sports Publishing Inc.
804 North Nell #100 Champaign IL 61820
1582614652 $12.95 1-877-807-6034

StockcarToons: Grins And Spins On The Winston Cup Circuit is a wry, lighthearted, and chuckle-inducing collection of cartoons drawn and captioned by Mike Smith about the good, the bad, and the ugly of car racing on the Winston Cup Circuit. The simply executed black-and-white 'toons completely capture the emotion and essence of the ironies in the sport, and how recent events such as a ban on cigarette advertising have affected it. StockcarToons would make a superb and greatly appreciated giftbook choice for any dedicated auto racing fan.

Driven to Extremes
Jeff Wallach
Burford Books Inc.
PO Box 388, Short Hills, NJ 07078
158080103X $22.95 burfordbooks.com

Compiled by Jeff Wallach, Driven To Extremes: Uncommon Tales From Golf's Unmanicured Terrain is an impressive and memorable collection of personal anecdotes about golfing in unusual and unique courses. From teeing off atop a 2,000-foot granite wall in British Columbia, to battling for tee-time at St. Andrews, to encountering Chuck Hogan (perhaps golfing's most mercurial instructor), to experiencing the "spiritual path" of golf at the Esalen Institute, Driven To Extremes is an extraordinary journey of mind and spirit, as well as feet, golf clubs and small white balls. An enjoyable memoir, Driven To Extremes is especially recommended reading for dedicated golf enthusiasts.

The Philosophical Athlete
Heather L. Reid
Carolina Academic Press
700 Kent Street, Durham, NC 27701
0890894051 $25.00 www.cap-press.com

The Philosophical Athlete by Heather L. Reid (Associate Professor of Philosophy, Morningside College) is a thoughtful and reflective look at victory, defeat, and the experience of sport itself in learning, reflection, and social interaction. Topics focus on self-discovery, responsibility, respect, and citizenship, as well as several of contemporary hot-button topics such as violence, racism, and drug abuse in the world of sports. A meditative and insightful discourse, The Philosophical Athlete is thoughtful and thought-provoking reading which would make a welcome addition to any professional or academic Sports/Athletics reference collection or reading list.


The Genealogy Shelf

Your Guide To Cemetary Research
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack
Betterway Books/F&W
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1558705899 $19.99 1-800-289-0963

Your Guide To Cemetary Research will intrigue anyone involved in serious genealogical research, posing a whole new way to uncover family roots and facts trough research into cemeteries and their contents. From learning how cemeteries operate and how funerary art and tombstone iconography can lend to an understanding of history to making headstone rubbings and conducting cemetery surveys, Your Guide To Cemetary Research is packed with practical applications.

Videotape Your Memoirs
Suzanne Kita & Harriet Kinghorn
Quill Driver Books
1831 Industrial Way #101, Sanger, CA 93657
1884956254 $12.95 quilldriverbooks.com

Videotape Your Memoirs: The Perfect Way To Preserve Your Family's History by authors and educators Suzanne Kita and Harriet Kinghorn is a useful and "user friendly" instructional guide and reference to recording the personal histories and autobiographies of family members for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Readers will learn how to choose the proper equipment, orgaize their thoughts, enlist the help of others, be at ease during videotaping sessions, utilize photos and other memorabilia toillustrate an autobiographical video, creat a personal monologue, include friends and family, use scene and setting for added interest, archive and preserve the video taped presentations. As one of the newest tools for genealogists and family historians, videotaped memoirs could prove to be invaluable resources for future genealogy efforts -- as well as providing an enduring memorial and testament to the life experiences of ourselves and our loved ones. If you are considered the creation of a video taped autobiography, begin by carefully reading Suzanne Kita and Harriet Kinghorn's Videotape Your Memoirs!


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Uncomplicated Guide To Diabetes Complications
American Diabetes Association.
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580401333 $18.95 www.amazon.com

Now in an expanded and updated second edition, The Uncomplicated Guide To Diabetes Complications covers the major systems of the body and how they're affected by diabetes; from the heart to the eyes and teeth. Various chapters cover how these systems normally work, how they are affected by diabetes, and common signs of complications. The latest treatment options are included in a fine guide that covers all the ways diabetes affects the body.

Fighting The Good Fight
Victoria C. G. Greenleaf, M.D., M.S.
Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
1879384434 $18.95 1-800-773-7782

Fighting The Good Fight: One Family's Struggle Against Adolescent Alcoholism by psychiatrist Victoria C. G. Greenleaf is the emotional and candidly personal description of her own family's desperate struggle to cope with her son David's addiction, its consequences, and a very difficult intervention. Candidly told and vividly described, Fighting The Good Fight is a profound and informative account which is especially recommended reading for anyone having to cope with the problems of adolescent addiction within their own family.

Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth St., Emmaus, PA 18098
www.rodale.com www.amazon.com

Three new titles from this publisher provide excellent health guidelines for all. Michael Castleman's Blended Medicine (1579545939, $19.95) is an essential guide for any who want more details on alternative treatments and how they can work in conjunction with traditional medicine. The integration of both mainstream and alternative remedies is discussed in chapter organized by disease. Prevention's editors return with a new edition of their best-selling Doctors Book Of Home Remedies (1579546110), a title that tells how to use a variety of home treatment routines to solve common problems. From gingivitis to knee pain, advice ranges from candid assessments of knee braces to homeopathic creams and tablets to relieve pain. Each condition receives a range of treatment options. Prevention's Fit Not Fat At Forty Plus (157954598X, $19.95) provides a practical fitness routine for women over forty. Hundreds of new exercises, short workouts, and insider tricks offer keys to practical routines that can be worked into almost any daily exercise program for even the busiest woman.

Corpse
Jessica Snyder Sachs
Perseus Publishing
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
073820336X $15.00 1-800-242-7737

The medical science of forensics, which pinpoints the cause and time of death, is revealed in Corpse, an informative survey which describes the pursuit to understand life and death. Author Jessica Snyder Sachs follows twelve forensic entomologists on some of their stranger cases and blends history and science in her compelling survey of how forensics is emerging as a definitive medical science in its own right.

Nature Cures
James Whorton, Ph.D.
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016-4314
0195140710 $30.00 1-800-451-7556

Nature Cures presents the history of alternative medicine in America, showing that the recent rise of alternative medicine actually reflects two centuries of competition between mainstream medicine and unorthodox systems. In providing a running history of alternative medicine, author James Whorton enables readers to analyze the progress, successes and failures of both traditional and alternative treatments.

The Plague Makers
Wendy Barnaby
Continuum Publishing Group
370 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6503
082641415X $18.95 1-800-561-7704

The Plague Makers appears in a fully updated third edition to offer a subject even more relevant than it was in past editions: the secret world of biological warfare. The anthrax scare of 2001 is only the tip of the iceberg in lab biological weapons making, author Wendy Barnaby reveals: various chapters cover governments around the world using labs to produce deadly combinations of diseases and the creation of superviruses resistant to treatment.

Sculpting Her Body Perfect
Brad Schoenfeld
Human Kinetics
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736044698 $19.95 1-800-747-4457

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Sculpting Her Body Perfect by leading physical fitness expert Brad Schoenfeld offers 120 exercises especially designed for women seeking to improve their personal physical fitness and muscle tone for a better figure and a healthier life. Thoroughly "user friendly" step-by-step instructions enhanced with extensive black-and-white photographs fill out this excellent and highly recommended instructional guide to tailoring an effective physical workout for any woman regardless of age, background, or physical condition.

Acquiring Genomes
Lynn Margulis & Dorion Sagan
Basic Books
387 Park Av. S., 12th Fl., NY, NY 10016
0465043917 $28.00 1-800-242-7737

In Acquiring Genomes, authors Lynn Margulis & Dorion Sagan collaborate to present a fascinating theory regarding the origins of species as they probe Charles Darwin's original ideas of evolution, and then taking them a step further in identifying the source of inherited variations that give rise to new species. The authors cogently argue that random mutation is not the main factor in such changes: more significant is how new genomes are obtained by symbiosis. Lynn Margulis & Dorion Sagan is highly recommended as a compelling, attention involving survey offering new insights based on meticulous research.


The Biography Shelf

A Castle In The Backyard
Betsy Draine & Michael Hinden
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711
0299179400 $24.95 1-800-621-2736

A Castle In The Backyard: The Dream Of A House In France is a wonderful memoir of Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden (both of whom are Professors of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), who found their summer dream home to be a little stone house in the shadow of a great French castle. A Castle In The Backyard is highly recommended reading as a richly textured remembrance of a home and a land steeped in centuries of tradition and lore, as well as the eclectic and diverse variety of the people who embody its spirit.

Done Into Dance
Ann Daly
Wesleyan University Press
110 Mt. Vernon St. Middletown CT 06459
0819565601 $19.95 1-800-421-1561

Done Into Dance: Isadora Duncan In America by Ann Daly (Associate Professor of Dance History and Criticism, The University of Texas, Austin) is the exciting story of that legendary American dance icon, Isadora Duncan. Examining Isadora's international fame, as well as her profound and pervasive influence on a rising generation of American women, Done Into Dance links Isadora with the social and historical currents of her era, including her own personal association with feminism, and her racial notion of "Americanness", while striving to answer just what it was about her dancing that captivated so many people. Numerous excerpted sources and black-and-white photographs round out this telling and highly recommended biographical portrait.

Giants Of Japan
Mark Weston
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10022
1568363249 $18.00 1-800-451-7556

Giants Of Japan: The Lives Of Japan's Greatest Men And Women by journalist and author Mark Weston is an informed and informative biographical survey of great figures drawn from fifteen centuries of Japanese history. Ranging from the internationally famous writer Yukio Mishima and the film director Akira Kurosawa, to historical icons such as Shotoku (the prince who helped bring Buddhism to Japan), and the actress Izumo no Okuni (who created kabuki theater), Giants Of Japan effectively summarizes an eclectic collection of fascinating and remarkable lives revealed in an energetic and raptly interesting presentation. Very highly recommended reading for students of Japanese history and culture.

Beloved Island
Jonas Klein
Paul S. Eriksson, Publisher
PO Box 125, Forest Dale, VT 05745
0839710364 $16.95 1-802-247-4210

Beloved Island: Franklin & Eleanor And The Legacy Of Campobello by Jonas Klein is a touching, memorable, biographical portrayal of two genuinely great figures of 20th Century American history. Here presented are the daily lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and how their summer home on Campobello Island influenced them, and rounds out an impressive and painstaking recreation of their personal experiences with anecdotes, personal letters, and the memories of aides, family, and friends. A welcome and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of literature dedicated to the life, thought, and achievements of this politically and socially influential (and often controversial) couple, Beloved Island is an informative and insightful study of the often-hidden inner side of these two remarkable American leaders.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

PerPETual Care
Lisa Rogak
Litterature
212 Kinsman Road, Grafton, NH 03240
0965250288 $15.00 www.litterature.com

PerPETual Care: Who Will Look After Your Pets If You're Not Around? by pet owner Lisa Rogak (who lives in New Hampshire with 12 cats) is a straightforward, "user friendly" instructional guide to ensuring that a beloved animal companion will be taken care of even if we were to become ill, disabled, deceased, or otherwise unable to look after them. Individual chapters cogently address why an ordinary will isn't enough, how to set up a pet trust, to create a living will expressly for pets, the basics of sanctuaries and retirement homes, and so much more. To put it simply, PerPETual Care is a "must-read" for every one of us who truly loves and cares for their animal companions and wants to insure that they are well looked after when we are no longer able to.

The Complete Guide To Lost Pet Prevention & Recovery
Joseph Andrew Sapia & Patricia Sapia
El Jebel Press
Box 288, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716
0971833605 $23.95 lostpetfoundpet.com

The bad news is that every five seconds, a family pet is lost, missing, or stolen. The good news is that nearly 90% of all lost pets are recovered if a comprehensive search is conducted during the first twelve hours. Collaboratively compiled and written by the husband and wife team of Joseph Andrew Sapia and Patricia Sapia, The Complete Guide To Lost Pet Prevention & Recovery is a solidly presented reference covering everything from the precautions necessary to avoid a pet being abducted or lost, to conducting a thorough search for a lost pet, to going about finding a stray animal. Emphasizing practical advice, The Complete Guide To Lost Pet Prevention & Recovery an absolute "must" for anyone wanting to secure their animal companion from harm's way.

Killer Whales Of The World
Robin W. Baird
Voyageur Press
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
0896585123 $29.95 voyageurpress.com

Written by a cetacean biologist Robin W. Baird (who was also part of the team involved with the successful release program for the killer whale "Keiko" in Iceland), Killer Whales Of The World: Natural History And Conservation is an extensively informative and visually impressive guide to the life and habits of these amazing animals, wonderfully illustrated with full-color photography. Individual chapters address killer whale family life, on-going research, conservation efforts, human interactions and more. A captivating account of these amazing mammals, Killer Whales Of The World is very highly recommended reading for marine wildlife enthusiasts.

Exploring Animal Behavior In Laboratory And Field
Bonnie J. Ploger & Ken Yasukawa, eds.
Academic Press
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495
0125583303 $44.95 academicpress.com

Collaboratively assembled and edited by Bonnie J. Ploger (Hamline University) and Ken Yasukawa (Beloit College), Exploring Animal Behavior In Laboratory And Field is a scholarly compendium offering a variety of diverse approaches to the development, function, and evolution of animal behavior, with contribution each being grounded in the creation and careful testing of scientific hypotheses. An assemblage of studious, college-level essays on select topics ranging from the response of tree squirrels to different types of alarm calls, to human nonverbal communications, to chemoreception in lizards, and a great deal more, Exploring Animal Behavior In Laboratory And Field would make an especially welcome addition to Zoological Studies reference collections and Wildlife Studies reading lists.

Horse Schools
Angelina Almos
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
140333143X $24.95 1-800-839-8640

Compiled and organized by horse expert Angelia Almos, Horse Schools is a detailed and comprehensive guide to international universities, colleges, secondary schools, and specialty equine programs -- all categorized geographically by nation. From Argentina, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, to Spain, and the many schools to be found in the Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., Horse Schools surveys an immense number of learning facilities and summarizes the basic programs offered by each school, along with a brief but informative program description, degrees offered, contact information, tuition costs, and more. Horse Schools is confidently recommended as being a first rate reference for choosing an ideal location to learn equine handling for personal fun, professional necessity, or horse show competition.


The Education Shelf

Casting The Net Over Global Learning
Dr. Bernard J. Luskin
Griffin Publishing Group
18022 Cowan, #202, Irvine, CA 92614
1580001068 $17.95 1-800-472-9741

Casting The Net Over Global Learning by Bernard J. Luskin (Director of the Media Studies and Community College Leadership Programs) is a complete, contemporary instructional guide and information resource, filled from cover to cover with the latest global strategies for educating and training a workforce for the purpose of set setting any business apart in an increasingly this increasingly competitive and interlocking corporate world. Individual chapters address making the most of the Internet as an educational tool, the emerging phenomenon of the Corporate University, tailoring one's strategies for the Age of Communication, and much, much more. Casting The Net Over Global Learning is unique and commended resource for the twenty-first century.

Learning To Learn
Garry Burnett
Crown House Publishing Limited
4 Berkeley St., Norwalk, CT 06850
1899836780 $34.95 crownhouse.co.uk

Learning To Learn: Making Learning Work For All Students by Garry Burnett (Advanced Skills Teacher, Malet Lambert School, Hull, England) is an original and superbly organized resource designed especially for teachers of students age 11-14. Steps and sample exercises for overcoming psychological barriers, for discovering inspiration and emotional intelligence, as well as tips, tricks, and techniques for making better use of one's memory, and a great deal more are presented in a thoroughly "user friendly" format. Photocopiable exercises and a companion audio CD round out this very highly recommended treasure trove of ideas and methods for improving a student's scholarly skills.

The Struggles Of Getting An Education
Barbara Sparks
Educational Studies Press
College of Education
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
1879528258 $17.95 1-800-348-7543

The Struggles Of Getting An Education: Issues Of Power, Culture, And Difference For Mexican Americans Of The Southwest by Barbara Sparks (Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Adult Education, Department of Adult and Community College Education and Affiliate Faculty in Women's Gender Studies in Multidisciplinary Studies, North Carolina State University) is a sobering and informative treatise which adroitly addresses the challenges public education must face in reaching out to Mexican American students. From addressing conflicts of cultural values, to pedagogy in Adult Education, to mediating between opposing ideologies, The Struggles Of Getting An Education is invaluable and very strongly recomended reading for any educator and education policy maker seeking to forge a better future based upon a sound and relevant education for the Hispanic men and women of today by reaching beyond cultural clashes and stereotyped misconceptions.

Class Warfare
J. Martin Rochester
Encounter Books
665 Third Street, Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94107-1951
1893554538 $26.95 1-800-786-3839

Class Warfare: Besieged Schools, Bewildered Parents, Betrayed Kids And The Attack On Excellence by J. Martin Rochester (The Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science, University of Missouri-St. Louis) is an unflinching and documented account of contemporary conflicts across America concerning how reading, math, and other subjects are to be taught, how students should be tested, and other policy conflicts with respect to determining the future of the nation's young minds. Professor Rochester (having had his own fair share of scrapes with educators and policy makers as the parent of school-age children), offers both a personal as well as an analytical look at these divisive educational issues. Class Warfare is recommended for being a particularly readable and thought-provoking account which will of informative value for those with an interest in the current educational issues on national, state, and local levels.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Philosophy Of Wicca
Amber Laine Fisher
ECW Press/IPG dist.
814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610
1550224875 $19.95 www.ipgbook.com

Philosophy Of Wicca provides an introductory review of basic key religious concepts and beliefs within the Wiccan structure, providing an analysis that blends both a history of Wicca and a survey of its differences from other Christian-based systems. Myths, rituals, and guidelines provide a solid foundation for the assessment and understanding of Wicca.

Wicca For Couples
A.J. Drew
New Page/Career Press
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564146200 $13.99 1-800-227-3371

Wicca is generally viewed as a solitary practice or as a practice involving a coven. Wicca For Couples explores wicca for couples, from wiccan ritual and real life issues to the couple's relationship with a coven. A modern Wicca could be developed based on the natural bonding of a couple rather than the solitary witch image, this book maintains: chapters explore how.

Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 64383
www.llewellyn.com

Five titles provide New Age spiritual guidance to those involved in spells and wicca beliefs. Edain McCoy's Spellworking For Covens (0738702617, $14.95) will appeal to any coven from two members on up, providing a hands-on guide to working magic as a group. Intermediate practitioners or members of an established coven receive keys to raising energy, using spell formats effectively, and handling common problems that arise in covens. Konstantinos' Gothic Grimoire (0738702552, $14.95) focuses on nocturnal magical practices, showing how to take spells and rituals to an extra level through rites which take advantage of night moods. Maria Kay Simms' A Time For Magick (07387622X, $12.95) is particularly intriguing in its link of astrology with magic rituals and guided meditations. Use astrology to tie into magic and assess the planets for maximum strength with this intriguing blend. Karri Allrich's A Witch's Book Of Dreams (073870140, $12.95) is also an intriguing blend: this one showing how to understand and interpret dream symbols through the intuitive forces of wicca. Guided exercises tell how to create a dream journal and personal dream dictionary and how to use dream symbols to heal and cast spells. Raven Grimassi's Witches' Craft (0265-X, $16.95) presents some seasoned aspects of witchcraft, from the unedited method of constructing the Witches' ladder to using charms, divination, and old methods to supplement modern witchcraft approaches. All will prove intriguing and excellent supplements for practitioners of the 'other arts'.

I Ching: The Oracle Of The Cosmic Way
Carol K. Anthony & Hanna Moog
Anthony Publishing Company, Inc.
206 Gleasondale Road, Stow, MA 01775
1890764000 $34.95 1-978-897-7191

The collaborative effort of I Ching experts and specialists Carol K. Anthony and Hanna Moog, I Ching: The Oracle Of The Cosmic Way is a fascinating new version and interpretation of this classic Chinese text and divination tool. An innovative method of accessing the wisdom of the Sage as revealed through the I Ching is presented, along with an extensive elaboration of the simplest lines of the I Ching to help make this ancient resource more familiar to non-specialist general readers of all backgrounds. I Ching: The Oracle Of The Cosmic Way is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Metaphysical Studies collection.


The American History Shelf

Reminiscences Of A Soldier's Wife
Ellen McGowan Biddle
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
0811720586 $12.95 1-800-732-3669

Written by Ellen McGowan Biddle, the wife of U.S. Army officer James Biddle who served on the American frontier during the late 1800's, Reminiscences Of A Soldier's Wife is an engaging and personal memoir which describes the humble day to day events and the tension of life on the American western frontier. A powerful and captivating primary source Reminisces of A Solider's Wife offers the reader a kind of historical snapshot of just what it was like to live in the frontier military encampments and forts from Macon, Georgia, to Fort Robinson, Nebraska near the turn of the century. Enhanced for the modern reader with a new introduction by Peter Cozzens, Reminiscences Of A Soldier's Wife is part of the outstanding Stackpole Books "Frontier Classics" series and a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as academic, and community library American History reference collections.

Pox Americana
Elizabeth Fenn
Hill & Wang
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
080907821X $15.00 1-888-330-8477

An epidemic of smallpox swept across North America around the time of the War of Independence but little has been written on this until now. Pox Americana is the first title to reveal how the disease affected the outcome of the American Revolution, and affected the lives of everyone on the continent. Elizabeth Fenn's probe into how smallpox influenced different groups, from slaves in Virginia who escaped to join the British forces to those who wintered at Valley Forge, makes for a very different view of American health and political history.

Bull's Eyes And Misfires
Clint Johnson
Rutledge Hill Press
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
1558539611 $12.99 rutledgehillpress.com

Compiled and written by Civil War Reenactor and enthusiast Clint Johnson, Bull's Eyes And Misfires is an unique anthology of true stories about fifty different people whose obscure and often overlooked roles had lasting impact on the course of the American Civil War. Ranging from how Joseph Anderson and George Rains efficiently kept the Confederacy supplied with cannon and gunpowder, to how Julia Grant helped her husband General U. S. Grant win battles, to "Crazy Bet" Van Lew who ran one of the best possible spy networks for the North, to a series of terrible and costly mistakes of judgment attributed to leaders on both sides, Bull's Eyes And Misfires offers a wealth of lore and evidence of how even small details can have great effects on the tide of battle and is very highly recommended reading for all American History and Civil War buffs.

A Good Camp
Leland Fetzer
Sunbelt Publications
Box 191126, San Diego, CA 9259-1126
0932653480 $12.95 www.amazon.com

A Good Camp: Gold Mines Of Julian And The Cuyamacas is an informal hand fascinating istory of the San Diego gold rush of 1870, and provides the reader with a lively cast of local characters blended with a geology of the region and an exploration of early mining processes. The result is a history which blends historic photos and details of a Southern California mining spree.

Big Thicket Legacy
Campbell Loughmiller
Lynn Loughmiller
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
157441156X $14.95 1-800-826-8911

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by lifelong naturalists Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller, Big Thicket Legacy is a compendium of engaging and informative anecdotes about life and living in the Big Thicket country, which is a nearly impassable area of Texas territory that only a few pioneers dared to brave. In those days, only the heartiest of individuals and families could call a place within the heart of the Big Thicket home; their tales have become a part of Texas folklore, and in Big Thicket Legacy are preserved to available to the general reading public, thereby recounting a very special experienced wisdom for new generations of Texans.

Ghost Towns Of The Santa Cruz Mountains
John V. Young
Great West Books
PO Box 1028, Lafayette, CA 94549
0944220126 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Ghost Towns Of The Santa Cruz Mountains is a human and cultural history of the region covers the California mountains from 1850 to the middle of this century, examining the lives of early settlers in a lively manner which reads like newspaper stories. Individual chapters cover various aspects of mining and logging, the rough living conditions, and is well written treatise that will appeal to anyone with an interest in regional California history and culture.

Elusive Truth
Gerald H. Robinson
Carl Mautz Publishing
229 Commercial St PMB 522, Nevada City, CA 95959
1887694242 $20.00 www.carlmautz.com

Compiled by Gerald H. Robinson, Elusive Truth: Four Photographers At Manzanar is a strikingly impressive collection of historical photographs taken of the Manzanar relocation camp, one of several set up by the United States government in 1942 when it forcibly imprisoned a population of 110,000 Japanese-Americans citizens and Japanese residents for three years. The poignant text combines with meaningful images of daily life as it features the photographic talents of Ansel Adams, Clem Albers, Dorothea Lange, and Toyo Miyatake, and presents an unvarnished, candid, accurate portrayal. Highly recommended.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Costumes For Plays And Playing
Gail E. Haley
Parkway Publishers
PO Box 3678, Boone, NC 28607
1887905626 $14.95 1-800-821-9155

Costumes For Plays And Playing by author, illustrator, puppeteer and storyteller Gail E. Haley is a very practical "how-to" guide to the art of crafting effective stage costumes from everyday materials, with a minimum of fuss and bother. Featuring an easy to follow text which covers a wide variety of possible needs ranging from wild animals to soldiers out of ancient history, Costumes For Plays And Playing is a first-rate and "user friendly" guide which is very highly recommended, especially for school and community theater reference shelves.

The Cineaste Interviews 2
Gary Crowdus & Dan Georgakas, editors
Lake View Press/Smyrna Press
PO Box 1151, Union City, NJ 07087
0941702510 $29.95 1-201-617-7247

The Cineaste Interviews 2: Filmmakers On The Art And Politics Of The Cinema is a compilation of twenty-five in-depth, insightful and thought-provoking interviews successful film directors, combining their political voice with their artistic observations, rueful humor and much, much more. Interview subjects include Lizzie Borden, Akira Kurosawa, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone. The topics covered include making quality films in Hollywood, independent productions, global cinematic currents, representations of race and ethnicity, censorship, defying Hollywood conventions, strategies for overtly political films, as well as sexist images and assumptions. A highly literate and fascinating portrait of grand film creators and their industry, The Cineaste Interviews 2 is a seminal and instructive contribution to Cinematic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Art Of Film Acting
Jeremiah Comey
Focal Press
200 Wheeler Road, 6th floor, Burlington, MA 01803
0240805070 $21.99 focalpress.com

The Art Of Film Acting: A Guide For Actors And Directors by film acting instructor and coach Jeremiah Comey is an extensive, nicely organized, 290-page primer which is filled from cover to cover with a wealth of practical, applicable, "user friendly" suggestions, tips, tricks, and techniques especially and particularly concerned the art and craft of acting for the cinema. Individual chapters cogently and accessible address sight reading, "the art of not knowing", how to get ready and do well at an audition, and much, much more. The Art Of Film Acting is enthusiastically recommended as a thoroughly useful supplementary resource and instructional reference for novice actors and neophyte directors.

An Askew View
John Kenneth Muir
Applause
c/o Hal Leonard Corporation
PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
1557835861 $18.95 halleonard.com

An Askew View: The Films Of Kevin Smith by film and television journalist and expert John Kenneth Muir is an insightful commentary on Kevin Smith's cinematic works that have gone on to achieve a kind of cult-following, including his films: "Clerks," "Chasing Amy," and "Dogma", as well as such efforts as "Mallrats" and the ill-fated "Clerks: the Animated Series" (which was ultimately killed to make room for the then-megahit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" game show). Interviews with Kevin Smith and other filmmakers form the backbone of this fascinating companion book that is highly recommended reading for students of filmmaking, as well as the legions of Kevin Smith fans.


The Poetry Shelf

Poems By Adolescents And Adults
James Brewbaker & Dawnelle J. Hyland
National Council of Teachers of English
1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801
0814135633 $33.95 1-800-369-6283

Collaboratively compiled and edited by James Brewbaker and Dawnelle J. Hyland, Poems By Adolescents And Adults: A Thematic Collection For Middle School And High School is an impressive compendium of more than 100 poems written by students in grades 5 to 12 (who were drawn from 26 American states and British Columbia), as well as 40 pieces by adults, including classroom teachers who have been published in "English Journal", as well as famous writers such as William Stafford and Nikki Giovanni. Touching on themes from family life to peer pressure, school problems, social issues, love, and imaginings of the future, Poems By Adolescents And Adults is a highly readable anthology for private perusal or classroom instruction. Sweep Me Clean: In the beginning they helped me escape my problems/They became an overruling enemy/I became like a fiend/I was their feeble prisoner/My body felt disgustingly dirty inside/I needed to be cleaned too often/I attempted to sweep out the dirtiness/Many different brooms were used/I had to replenish myself everyday/My mind seemed to be going astray/Due to the fact that I brushed myself/A very wrong way Elena Rente, 9th Grade, Little Flower Academy, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Where They Left You For Dead
Margaret Randall
EdgeWork Books/Cypress House
Claire Kirch (publicity)
155 Cypress Street, Ft. Bragg, CA 95437
1931223068 $16.95 1-800-773-7782

Where They Left You For Dead/halfway Home showcases thirty-eight poems by Margaret Randall, who wrote them to her lifetime companion who suffers chronic pain. An accomplished poet and author of some eighty published titles, this compendium is remarkable for making connections that are intimate and integral as they weave thoughts into words, and words into feelings. Time Changes: This week, reduced to the rapidity/of surprise,/ends almost before it begins./I do not speak of measurable time./Yes, I do know Monday defeats Sunday,/Tuesday rounds the inevitable turn/in the road, and Wednesday/crests the mountain ridge/as we fall backward/toward the week's end./Action slows then speeds/like the small wooden boat/as it slips off the tongue of water/into the churning rapid./I am talking about time/moving too fast for comfort,/altogether now,/and salty, not sweet./Or perhaps it is the other way around:/each gesture so mindfully sweet/that I stand/here turning it in my hands:/bereaved, astonished.

Medicine Stone
Jack Coulehan
Fithian Press
c/o Daniel and Daniel, Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 1525, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
1564744051 $12.00 danielpublishing.com

Medicine Stone is a collection of meditational poetry by Jack Coulehan that deals with the sensitive subjects of personal tragedy, inspiration, loss, and the effects of cosmic forces. The distinctive and emotional free verse is uniquely inspirational. Mongoose: Here lies the mongoose that I carried across the world/by steamship from the steamy woodlands of Ceylon/to the breathless, frozen forests south of Moscow.//In the summer my guests cooed hen they saw the mongoose/popping his head from our picnic basket. The creature/was a real show-stopper. The lazed twitch of his whiskers//and pointed nose delighted them all, and his bush tail/could write such unexpected endings, like last week/in the woods--the mongoose bit off a piece of mama's nose//while she crawled around on her knees collecting mushrooms./No feigned affection there. No holding back or holding forth./Indeed, the mongoose was a trick of the universe,/a quick correction to easy assumptions. The trickster/could worry a cobra, but if you left him in a room/alone, he'd whimper for hours. May the mongoose rest in peace.

Soundings
Cilla McQueen
Univ. of Otago Press/ISBS, dist.
5824 N.E. Hassalo Street, Portland, OR 97213-3644
1877276383 $29.95 1-800-944-6190

Soundings is a collection of heartfelt poems and simple yet evocative black-and-white drawings by Cilla McQueen. The brief yet poignant free-verse lyrics evoke scenes of life, history, and the best and worst of human nature, focusing especially on conflicts engendered between colonists from the New World and Native American civilizations. Rakiura, 1823: At Poti Repo, Ebenezer Denton/died defending the stores--//the last thing he saw/was the patu//that struck like a shark/in the dreamy dark//where silent figures/cast and puffed//white flour about, bit soap/and spat it out,//scattered tobacco,/spurning the gunpowder,//throwing it down/on the ground, on the fire,//gyrating/through violent explosions.

Sweet Youth
Allen Grossman
New Directions Publishing Corporation
80 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
0811215229 $18.95 ndpublishing.com

Sweet Youth is an outstanding collection showcasing the poems that Allen Grossman wrote in his youth. Some of the selections date to the early 1950's, others were originally published in the such books as "A Harlot's Hire" (1961), "The Recluse" (1965) and "And the Dew Lay All Night Upon My Branch" (1973). The brief yet subtle verse is evocative of compelling moods and quite worthy of extended contemplation. The Cry: Sleepwalking, having it both ways and more,/Doing and undoing the raveled sleeve of care/With fluttering fingers, getting nothing done,/Blind with streaming hair,/You nursed our child and put it down/Hours ago. Something else that weeps/Drives you up the hallway in your sleep,/A lost thing, sister to the thing you lost.//To me you are a ghost with bared white breasts/Fainting with hunger for a thing you bore/But, being dead, can never reach/Although you wander in an ecstasy of care/Making of my bed a haunted wood,/A wound, a grave, something not understood.

The Time, The Hour, The Solitariness Of The Place
Louis Phillips
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama
Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
0942979877 $11.00 www.uwa.edu

Louis Phillips is an accomplished and seasoned poet who writes his verse with great wit and a keen sense of the human condition. The Time, The Hour, The Solitariness Of The Place is his latest collection showcases a poet who uses words and paper the way an artist uses paint and canvas to evoke a recognition and reflection within the mind's eye of the reader. Cantrip: Sleep lively now/While I mortal weave/About your breathing/Hush now sounds,/Your world displaced/Where now the night/Imprints & now/The wind. Breathe/Yourself thru/This forest of sighs,/Gorgeous the moon/Pranking round hollow,/Now to awake./The spell is broken/& yes you are free.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Castwork
Kirk Deeter & Andrew Steketee
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
157223508X $40.00 1-800-850-9453

Castwork is both a visual treat for gift-giving and a lovely guide for fly fishermen who want a portrait of thirteen selected 'best' fly-fishing spots in the West. Fly fishing guides offer their reflections on the sport and their experiences, with black and white photos by Liz Steketee throughout. A fisherman's pleasure.

Probasco's Favorite Northwest Flies
Steve Probasco
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
PO Box 82112, Portland, Oregon 97282
1571881441 $22.00 amatobooks.com

Probasco's Favorite Northwest Flies: Tying And Fishing by fly tying expert Steve Probasco (who brings forty years of experience fishing the Northwest's waters to this "how to" book) is a superbly presented, thoroughly "user friendly" guide which is ideal for avid fly fishers aspiring to craft dozens upon dozens of different fly types. Step-by-step instructions, enhanced with color photography (often eight or more to illustrate the various stages of creating a specific fly lure) make Probasco's Favorite Northwest Flies a very highly recommended resource which all truly dedicated anglers should add to their personal fly-tying reference collections.

Tying Strong Fishing Knots
Bill Herzog
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
1571880224 $6.95 amatobooks.com

A key aspect of fly fishing, but often one often overlooked by the novice angler, is the necessity of knowing how to tie a variety of dependable knots. Bill Herzog's Tying Strong Fishing Knots is a useful and "user friendly" compendium of knot-tying instructions that are enhanced with easy-to-understand illustrations illuminating an accessible and informative text. Whether generalized knot-tying, or the adroit creation of a specialized knot, this 48-page, portably sized "how to" book will prove to be an invaluable addition to any dedicated fly fisher's reference shelf.

While I Was Hunting...
Len Dickinson
General Store Publishing House
1 Main Street, Burnstown, Ontario Canada K0J 1G0
189426360X $24.95 www.gsph.com

Written by skilled landscape photographer and experienced hunter Len Dickinson, While I Was Hunting... blends captivating images of natural scenery with poignant insights into, and serious concerns about, natural conservation. An insightful, visually splendid and emotionally written tour of the richness of nature, While I Was Hunting is strongly recommended, thoughtfully reflective, and occasionally inspired reading for outdoor enthusiasts, wildlife supporters, and anyone who has ever gone hunting with rifle, bow, or camera.

Bowhunting Tactics Of The Pros
Lamar Underwood
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585745898 $16.95 lyonspress.com

Compiled and edited by bowhunting expert Lamar Underwood (who is also the Editorial Director of the Outdoor Magazine Group of Harris Publications, New York), Bowhunting Tactics Of The Pros: Strategies For Deer And Big Game is an extensive collection of impressive and informative essays concerning how to effectively hunt game with the traditional bow and arrow. From hunting truly challenging game such as moose, grizzlies, and black bears, to expert-level strategies concerning scents and calls to taking advantage of deer rutting season, Bowhunting Tactics is a first-rate, highly recommended addition to any dedicated archery hunter's reference shelf.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Things Feigned Or Imagined
Fred Stenson
The Banff Centre Press
Box 1020-107, Tunnel Mountain Drive, Banff, Alberta T1L 1H5
0920159931 $14.95 banffcentre.ca/press

Things Feigned Or Imagined is an insightful collection of tips, tricks, techniques and advice by career writer Fred Stenson and written specifically for novice authors aspiring to create truly imaginative fiction. Individual chapters informatively address just how characterization drives the story, how to quickly hook the reader, how to make effective use of humor, and so much more. An excellent supplementary resource for fiction writers everywhere, Things Feigned Or Imagined is a very strongly recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Writing/Publishing reference collection or reading list.

So You Want To Be A Writer
Carl Perrin
eBookstand Books
c/o the Magnum Group
P O Box 7670, Auburn, CA 95604
1589091159 $15.95 ebookstand.com

Carl Perrin is a successfully published author of short stories, poetry, national magazine articles, and books. He draws upon his personal experience and expertise in writing So You Want To Be A Writer which is specifically designed to assist those who aspire to improve their writing skills to a quality level that will invite and facilitate publication. So You Want To Be A Writer is a straightforward, immanently useful and "user friendly" guide for beginning writers which is packed from cover to cover with hints, tips, tricks, techniques, and the "straight scoop" on everything from sending out queries, to manuscript formats and formatting, to proper proofreading, to the possibilities of self-publishing. So You Want To Be A Writer is a practical, "real world" oriented and highly recommended basic primer for the novice writer.

Feature Animation Writing
Marilyn Webber
Garth Gardner Company
2545 Sandbourne Lane, Herndon, VA 20171
1589650026 $29.95 www.amazon.com

Because animation writing is so closely tied to the creation of animation itself, Gardner's Guide To Feature Animation Writing: The Writer's Road Map is reviewed here rather than in our art resource section. Chapters cover the basics of how to link animation to story lines, discussing differences between different animation genres and how scripting differs between animation and live action scenes. Especially invaluable are the tips on honing a uniform technique and presentation to appeal to buyers and enhance sales of animation scripts.

The Dimwit's Dictionary
Robert Hartwell Fiske
Marion Street Press, Inc.
PO Box 2249, Oak Park, IL 60304
www.marionstreetpress.com
0966517679 $19.95 1-708-445-8330

The Dimwit's Dictionary by Robert Hartwell Fiske (Editor of the online journal about the English language: "Vocabula Review") is filled cover to cover with alternatives to over 5,000 tiresome cliche phrases. The entries are of two types. One type offers synonyms for cliche words and phrases, from "Achilles' heel" (foible, deficiency, etc.) to "you name it" (and so forth, and the like). The other type of entry identifies flawed and horribly overused verbal expressions, and categorizes them by type: "zillions" is an infantile phrase; "advice is cheap" is a quack equation; and "nipping at your heels" is a moribund metaphor. The value of this second type of entry is straightforward - if one is using any such phrase in their writing, then reaching for synonyms simply isn't enough; it's time to completely rework the expressed thought. Both types of entries are presented alongside one another in this alphabetized volume. Overall, The Dimwit's Dictionary is easy to use, and should be cover-to-cover reading (not simply used sporadically as a reference, but a page-by-page reading and explicit indoctrination in what phrases to avoid) for every neophyte writer who aspires to effective and memorable writing.

Snoopy's Guide To The Writing Life
Barnaby Conrad and Monte Schulz
Writer's Digest Books/F&W
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1582971943 $19.99 writersdigest.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by award winning short story writer Barnaby Conrad and novelist Monte Schulz (who is also the son of the "Peanuts" comic strip creator Charles M. Schulz), Snoopy's Guide To The Writing Life is an engaging collection of writing anecdotes and insights drawn from over thirty of the world's most popular writers, including Danielle Steel, Ray Bradbury, and William F. Buckley Jr. But perhaps the real star of the book is Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, featured in timeless comic strips about Snoopy's struggle to write the Great American (Dog's) Novel, as well as the other kids' attempts to construct literate book reports. Replete with a wealth of humorous, insightful, and filled with practical tips, Snoopy's Guide To The Writing Life is highly recommended reading for both aspiring writers and "Peanuts" fans.

Graphic Design For 21st Century Desktop Publishers
Marvin Jacobs, CFSP & Linda I. Studer
Words and Pictures Publishing
PO Box 40, N. Olmsted, OH 44070
www.wppublishing.com
0962970034 $49.00 1-800-544-5314

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Graphic Design For 21st Century Desktop Publishers by Marvin Jacobs (President of Ameritype Art, Inc.) and Linda I. Studer (Associate Professor, Stark State College of Technology, Canton, Ohio) is a solidly presented "how-to primer" on successfully entering the challenging and every-changing field of computer graphic design which is especially relevant for personal or professional desktop publishing. Basic advice, tips, tricks, and techniques for creating professional quality websites, forms, business graphics and more are discussed in detail. Enhanced with numerous black-and-white illustrations which add a particular clarity to each point, Graphic Design For 21st Century Desktop Publishers is confidently recommended as being a truly first-rate, "user friendly" instructional and reference manual.

How To Start A Magazine And Publish It Profitably
James B. Kobak
M. Evans and Company, Inc.
216 East 49th Street, NY, NY 10017
0871319276 $29.95 www.mevans.com

How To Start A Magazine And Publish It Profitably by business consultant and entrepreneur James B. Kobak is a no-nonsense, imminently practical, how-to guide to the magazine market, including a wealth of invaluable "tips, tricks and techniques" on how to raise venture capital, why some magazines succeed while others go bankrupt, how to choose the best name and develop a solid business plan, and much, much more. An informed and informative, highly readable primer, How To Start A Magazine And Publish It Profitably is an absolute "must-read" for anyone seriously interested in venturing into the world of magazine publishing.


The Artbook Shelf

The Simple Art Of Chinese Calligraphy
Qu Lei Lei
Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0823048381 $24.95 watsonguptill.com

The Simple Art Of Chinese Calligraphy is a captivating introduction to learning and practicing the 6,000-year-old art of Chinese calligraphy as author Qu Lei Lei draws upon his personal expertise as an artist and calligrapher whose work has been exhibited in a number of galleries and museums in London, Paris, Geneva, Singapore, Tokyo, and Venice, and who has been a guest lecturer in Chinese art and calligraphy at the British Museum, the Victoria& Albert Museum, the Ruskin School of Art, as well as the Christie and Sotheby auction houses. Basic characters for good luck and other worthy concepts, stroke techniques, beautiful paper fans, and much more are discussed and described with easy-to-follow instructions and gorgeous full color photographs. The Simple Art Of Chinese Calligraphy is a superbly presented and truly first-rate introduction to the timeless joy of an ancient art form with an enduring popularity.

Watercolors Of Bridges Over Minnehaha Creek
Victor C. Gilbertson
Galde Press
PO Box 460, Lakeville, MN 55044
1880090066 $19.95 galdepress.com

Watercolors Of Bridges Over Minnehaha Creek: 101 Variations by Minneapolis architect Victor C. Gilbertson is a soothing, full-color artwork of wistful bridge scenes. Each thoughtfully painted piece has a caption describing the length, width, and year the featured bridge was built, as well as its location and composition. Simple maps and directions to the bridges allow devoted art and scenery enthusiasts to visit these lovely sites and see these impressive structures for themselves. A thoughtful and touching artbook, invested with love for the painted scenery, Watercolors Of Bridges Over Minnehaha Creek is especially recommended for students of art, and the structural architecture of bridges.

Pennsylvania Impressionism
Brian H. Peterson, editor
University of Pennsylvania Press
PO Box 50370, Baltimore, MD 21211
0812237005 $49.95 1-800-445-9880

Compiled and edited by Brian H. Peterson (Senior Curator, James A. Michener Art Museum, Bucks County, Pennsylvania), and enhanced with informative essays by William H. Gerdts (Professor Emeritus of Art History, Graduate School of the City University of New York), and Sylvia Yount (The Margaret and Terry Stent Curator of American Art at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia), with additional contributions by Erika Jaeger Smith, Constance Kimmerle, Mary O'Brien, Birgitta H. Bond, and Tricia Fagan, Pennsylvania Impressionism is a stunningly impressive, full-color compendium of fantastic artworks, enhanced with an erudite and knowledgeable commentary about the impressionistic styles Pennsylvanian artists and how they uniquely captured the land and its people. Brief biographies of great Impressionistic artists who lived in and painted Pennsylvania, thoughts on emotional works presented for the reader's enjoyment, state history, and much, much more combine to make Pennsylvania Impressionism both a gorgeous and unforgettable coffeetable artbook, as well as an essential addition to personal or academic American Art History collections.

The Art Of Maine In Winter
Carl Little, author
Arnold Skolnick, picture editor
DownEast Books
PO Box 679, Camden, Maine 04843-0679
0892725923 $35.00 1-800-766-1670

Compiled, written, and edited by Maine art expert Carl Little and Arnold Skolnick (owner and founder of Chameleon Books), The Art Of Maine In Winter is a visually splendid, full-color collection of breathtaking works of art capturing Maine during the winter months. Ranging from abstract-style oil on canvas landscapes of snow, to woodcuts of young people enjoying simple winter sports, to impressionistic renditions of hard work among tall trees, The Art Of Maine In Winter presents an eclectic variety of gorgeous artworks, along with brief yet thoughtful commentary on the spirit of the art itself and the land reflected in the artist's view. The Art Of Maine In Winter is a welcome and highly recommended addition to any personal, art school, or community library Art History collection.


The Parenting Shelf

The Survival Guide For Kids With LD
Gary Fisher & Rhoda Cummings
Free Spirit Publishing
217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299
1575421194 $10.95 www.freespirit.com

Now in a revised and updated edition, The Survival Guide For Kids With LD* (*Learning Differences) by University of Nevada-Reno professors Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings, is a simply presented and easily accessible guide written especially for those dealing with children who have "learning differences". Emphasizing that having one of the many kinds of learning disabilities or cognitive restrictions doesn't preclude a child from learning, from having friends, or from growing up to be a successful adult. The readable prose is packed with tips for dealing with teasing, providing encouragement, simple black-and-white artwork, study tips, and more. The Survival Guide For Kids With LD* is highly recommended reading for parents, teachers, tutors, day-care staff members, -- and most especially, for kids ages 10 and up. Also highly recommended for teen readers is The Survival Guide For Teenagers With LD (0915793512; $12.95); for parents, When Your Child Has LD (0915793873; $12.95); and for educators, The School Survival Guide For Kids With LD (0915793326; $12.95).

The Grandparent Guide
Arthur Kornhaber, M.D.
Contemporary Books
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
0071383115 $16.95 1-800-722-4726

The Grandparent Guide: The Definitive Guide To Coping With The Challenges Of Modern Grandparenting by child and family therapist Arthur Kornhaber (who is also the president and founder of the Foundation for Grandparenting) is an extensive and informative resource written especially for grandparents, and covers everything from adoption and baby-sitting, to gift giving, legal issues, parental and grandparent divorce, religious differences, mentoring, visitations, estate planning, and much, much more. The Grandparent Guide is strongly recommended for personal and community library Parenting Reference collections and guides as an in-depth, highly practical tome of solid wisdom, greatly needed in today's diverse and fast-paced world.

To Touch Is To Live
Mariana Caplan, Ph.D.
HOHM Press
PO Box 2501, Prescott, AZ 86302
1890772240 $19.95 www.hohmpress.com

Now in a substantially revised edition (the previous edition was titled "Untouched"), To Touch Is To Live by Mariana Caplan (California Institute of Integral Studies) affirms the importance of touch and intimacy as an essential component for a healthy childhood, as well as the phenomena of therapeutic touch, and the relationships of touching to human sexuality. A very special chapter clearly details "the wrong kind of touch" that is classified as sexual abuse, and offers assistance in coping with its negative fallout. A deeply insightful and understanding guide for an increasingly isolated and distant nation, To Touch Is To Live is strongly recommended reading for parents, child-care providers, teachers, counselors, as well as adult non-specialist general readers wanting to better understand this basic and fundamental aspect of human nature and sexual love.

The Five Minute Parent
Deborah Shelton & Frankie Gordon
Bayou Publishing
KSB Promotions (publicity)
2524 Nottingham, Houston, TX 77005
1886298130 $12.95 bayoupublishing.com

The Five Minute Parent: Fun & Fast Activities For You And Your Little Ones by Deborah Shelton is a compilation of 115 quick, easy, and very enjoyable parent-child projects designed specifically for families running short on time. Simple black and white drawings by Frankie Gordon illustrate such activities as making colorful "button flowers" out of construction paper, buttons and pipe cleaner, hanging a pine cone bird feeder for feathered friends, handprint art, and a great deal more. A fun and lighthearted resource, The Five Minute Parent is ideal for rainy day activities, single parent visitations, family night plans, kid's parties, and any time there's a few extra minutes in the day for family bonding with the kids.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Voices Unbound
Lucindy A. Willis
Scholarly Resources Inc.
104 Greenhill Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805-1897
0842028153 $19.95 www.scholarly.com

Compiled and edited by Lucindy A. Willis (North Carolina State University, Raleigh), Voices Unbound: The Lives And Works Of Twelve American Women Intellectuals is a seminal anthology of ground breaking writings by twelve great female American intellectuals spanning the pre-Civil War era to the modern day. The essays range from Visionary of the New Age by Margaret Fuller, to Intellectual Architect of American Feminism by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to An Unsuitable Job for a Women by Margaret Mead, to A Passionate Friend by Susan Sontag. Other contributors include Lydia Mana Child (First Woman in the Republic); Charlotte Perkins Gilman (A Mixed Legacy); Anna Julia Cooper (The New Woman); Jessie Redmon Fauset (A Citizen of the World); Dorothy Thompson (American Cassandra); Cynthia Ozick (Keeping Memory Alive); Gloria Arizaldua (A New Mestiza Consciousness); and Bell Hooks (Talking Back). Enhanced with a section of Afterthoughts, selected readings, and an index, Voices Unbound offers thought-provoking and intellectually charged presentations which are highly recommended for Women's Studies reading lists and reference collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

A Philosophical History Of Rights
Gary B. Herbert
Transaction Books
390 Campus Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873
0765801248 $49.95 1-888-999-6778

A Philosophical History Of Rights by Gary B. Herbert (Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University, New Orleans) provides a meticulous and scholarly examination of the concepts of "rights" ranging from the era of ancient Greece, through the era Roman jurisprudence, through the origin of Christianity, and down to the concept of the "divine right of kings", and the attempts by philosophers such as Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Hegel to evaluate the idea of rights as appropriate for society. A college level philosophical survey, extensively researched and thoughtfully written, A Philosophy History Of Rights is a significant and informative contribution to the study of Human Rights, as well as a seminal and enduring contribution to Philosophy reference collections.

Practical Judgments
Mark Kingwell
University of Toronto Press
2250 Military Rd, Tonawanda, NY 14150
0802036759 $29.95 1-800-565-9523

Practical Judgments: Essays In Culture, Politics, And Interpretation by Mark Kingwell (Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Senior Fellow of Massey College, University of Toronto) is an impressively erudite selection of philosophical essays focusing on commonplace evaluations and the so-called "common sense" in human life. Professor Kingwell applies the logic of philosophy and theories by Nietzsche, Hussert, Adorno, as well as the thoughts of more contemporary figure such as Cary Grant and Bruce Mau, directly to everyday life experiences. Enhanced with extensive bibliographical references and a comprehensive index, Practical Judgments is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read which is highly recommended for students of philosophy and contemporary culture.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Water Follies
Robert Glennon
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009-1148
1559632232 $25.00 www.islandpress.org

Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping And The Fate Of America's Fresh Waters by Robert Glennon (Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Arizona) is a timely and much needed wake-up call concerning the all-too-frequent pollution and misuse of the groundwater tables that America relies upon for fresh drinking water. Consisting of a selection of anecdotes about how the Santa Cruz River in Tucson went dry, the rampant greed in Tampa Bay, watershed initiatives concerning Massachusetts' Ipswitch River Basin, and a great deal more, Water Follies is a clarion warning and very strongly recommended contribution for Environmental Studies reference collections.


The Native American Shelf

Akak'Stiman
Reg Crowshoe & Sybille Manneschmidt
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary Alberta Canada T2N 1N4
1552380440 $19.95 1-800-565-3770

Akak'Stiman: A Blackfoot Framework For Decision-Making And Mediation Processes presents a Blackfoot framework for decision-making processes is a recommended pick for any college-level library strong in Native American history and culture. Its narrow focus on two health structures on the Peigan reserve one based on Blackfoot culture, the other on Western European health theories will also interest health libraries as it explores Blackfoot healing traditions and how they can be integrated with western approaches.


The Comix/Graphic Novels Shelf

Fallout
Jim Ottaviani, et.al.
GT Labs
PO Box 8145, Ann Arbor, MI 48107
0966010639 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Fallout is a compelling graphic novel which was collaboratively produced by the combined efforts of Jim Ottaviani, Janine Johnston, Steve Lieber, and Vince Locke, tells the fascinating and true story of the Manhattan Project -- and the price J. Robert Oppenheimer and many other scientiests paid for the atomic bomb. Science and history come memorably to life in a black and white graphic novel format that even those adverse to science, politics or history will find an intriguing and "reader friendly" method for absorbing the lasting political effects of the atomic bomb.

NBM
555 8th Ave. #1202, NY, NY 10018
www.nbmpublishing.com

Stephane Heuet's adaptation of Marcel Proust's challenging Remembrance Of Things Past: Within A Budding Grove Volune One (1561633208, $16.95) represents a special challenge for the graphic novel form, as it takes a complex piece and translates it into a beginner's guide, and as it takes a very wordy set of visualizations and deftly translates them to graphic format. The underlying humor and embellishments come to life under Heuet's hand, and make this classic accessible to an audience who normally might not read Proust. Jean David Morgan, et.al.'s Wake 3 (1561633151, $9.95) continues the adventures of Feisty Navee, blending European and Manga influences in a curious blend of fantasy and adventure. Add a graphic novel format and you have a title which enhances a scucessful series which is hard to categorize even for a graphic novel part cyberpunk, part fantasy, and part manga. Vittorio Giardino's No Pasaran!: Volume 2 (1561633135, $11.95) tells of a war in which leftist forces retreat from the French army. Military history blends with a graphic novel which is striking in its color, and which blends romance with a realistic plot. Murphy's House Of Java (1561633283, $15.95) provides a refreshing blend of graphic novel minus the usual cynicism. These short graphic stories observe the human condition and provide realistic yet hopeful scenarios.


The Psychology Shelf

The Meaning Of Mind
Thomas Szasz
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
081560775X $19.95 1-800-365-8929

The Meaning Of Mind: Language, Morality, And Neuroscience by Thomas Szasz (Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse) is an articulate, highly accessible, and persuasive treatise that calls into question the trend of analyzing the mind as if it were nothing more than a collection of brain functions. Taking the viewpoint that people should be understood and judged as moral individuals with free will, and not as mindless slaves to the workings of brain chemistry, The Meaning Of Mind is a persuasive, challenging, succinctly written account that can be confidently recommended to students of Human Psychology.

W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
1-800-233-4830 www.amazon.com

Two college-level health titles provide psychology students with technical insights into neuroscience. Ernest L. Rossi's Psychobiology Of Gene Expression (0393703436, $45.00) covers neuroscience in hypnosis and the healing arts, with research from the Human Genome Project setting the stage for a new understanding of holistic healing and psychology. Chapters review cutting-edge research and new theories that are leading to therapeutic hypnosis and psychotherapy. Louis Cozolino's The Neuroscience Of Psychotherapy (0393703673, $30.00) draws some important links between the brain's architecture and how it processes emotions. All forms of psychotherapy are successful when they change neural circuits, Cozolino maintains: chapters review these links and processes. Jerrold Maxmen & Nicholas Ward, MDs' Psychotropic Drugs: Fast Facts (0393703010, $45.00) may be lost on a shelf with its spiral binding with no spine lettering, but this third edition's value as a basic medical reference may keep it actively circulating. Each drug receives nurses' data, patient and family notes, and details on toxicity, withdrawal, and dangers. An excellent basic reference for any medical library.

Hidden Minds
Frank Tallis
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Fl., NY, NY 10010
1559706430 $25.95 1-800-759-0190

Hidden Minds is a history of the unconscious offering the non-specialist general reader with a fine synthesis which argues that the unconscious is one of the three big ideas of modern science. It may have lost favor recently, but new research in neuroscience and psychology has supported not only the concept of the unconscious mind, but identified its importance in psychology and the arts. The history of efforts to identify and classify the unconscious mind makes for an involving account.

Attention Deficit Disorder Handbook
Dawn Matthews
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold St., Detroit, MI 48226
0780806247 $78.00 1-800-234-1340

Dawn Matthews' Attention Deficit Disorder Handbook, comprises over fifty chapters which are arranged in six major parts, and provide the reader with a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis, treatment options, and facts about ADD. Also addressed are separate concerns for adults newly diagnosed, along with supplement details on behavior modification, homeopathy, and medications for all ages. Attention Deficit Disorder Handbook is a seminal contribution to ADD reference and study collections.

Anger Management
Howard Kassinove
Raymond Chip Tafrate
Impact Publishers, Inc.
Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016
1886230455 $27.95 impactpublishers.com

Collaboratively written by Howard Kassinove (Chairperson of the Psychology Department at Hofstra University) and Raymond Chip Tafrate (Associate Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Central Connecticut State University), Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook For Practitioners is a straightforward and thoroughly practical guide designed to substantially assist professional psychologists and caseworkers of all fields to help their patients and clients deal with a condition of unhealthy, counter-productive anger. Individual chapters address a model and plan to help people increase their awareness of anger and change their responses, and to police themselves to in order to maintain an emotionally healthier way of life. Anger Management is highly recommended reading for anyone charged with a professional responsibility to deal with and assist angry clients whether the setting is in private practice, an outpatient clinic, a hospital setting, or within the criminal justice system.


The Gardening Shelf

Sun-Drenched Gardens
Jan Smithen & Lucinda Lewis
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
100 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
0810932903 $39.95 abramsbooks.com

An informative and intrinsically interesting text by Jan Smithen (who teaches the art and science of gardening at the Los Angeles County Arboretum) comprises Sun-Drenched Gardens: The Mediterranean Style. This is a remarkable work which is superbly enhanced with memorably stunning full color images by professional photographer Lucinda Lewis showcasing lush, cultivated, verdant gardens flourishing through the mild winters and dry summers of the Mediterranean climate. Sculpted foliage, antique pots, majestic gazebos and much more fill this captivating, memorably visual tour which is enthusiastically recommended for gardeners, horticulturalists, and the non-specialist general reader.

Gardening With Soul
Gaylah Balter
Learning Tree Books
3038 North Malinda Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72703
www.learningtreebooks.com
0970786115 $18.00 1-479-582-4145

Gardening With Soul: Healing The Earth And Ourselves With Feng Shui And Environmental Awareness by Feng Shui consultant and expert Gaylah Balter is a thoughtful and pleasantly presented guide to creating gardens in harmony with the principles of Feng Shui, environmental awareness, and spiritual insight. Quotable quotes, a wealth of simple tips for dealing with common gardening problems and pests, personal encouragement, sage advice, and more, fill the pages of Gardening With Soul, a primer that balances the practical with the spiritual for an enlightening introduction to the art of growing. Gardening With Soul is highly recommended reading for students of Environmental Studies, gardening and horticultural enthusiasts, as well as Feng Shui practitioners.


The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf

Ruled Britania
Harry Turtledove
New American Library
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0451207173 $24.95 1-800-847-5515

Readers who appreciate a very good, solidly written, alternate history will relish Turtledove's Ruled Britania, set in 1597 Britain which has been under the rule of a Spanish king. Writer Will Shakespeare has no interest in politics, but when he has an opportunity to produce a revolutionary drama which will fire the spirits of the oppressed British, he can't help changing his word with his pen!

Baen Books
PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
1-800-223-2336 www.amazon.com

Two titles provide particularly fast-paced action and thrills within the science fiction realm. Larry Niven, et.al.'s Fallen Angels (0743435826, $24.00) tells of two marooned astronauts who find themselves stranded on a much-changed Earth and hunted by a US government convinced of the evils of technology. The premise is different and the story line involving, adding romance and strong characterization to hard science. David Weber's War Of Honor (0743435451, $26.00) tells of high-ranking men who don't want an interstellar war but who face this prospect anyway, when fighting challenges their worlds. Political confrontations and swift action make for a political thriller which proves hard to put down.

Inside The Rainbow
Eugene Goheen
Booklocker.com
PO Box 1605, Spring Valley, CA 91979
1591131626 $13.95 www.amazon.com

Inside The Rainbow is the story of a future world in which US energy shortages spark a human mutation begins with a bang and doesn't let up: "I had to watch with my own eyes as my brother disintegrated into something not human." Different voices document not only the mutation but the changing nature of reality in an energy-shorted world. Fascinating and hard to put down.

The Cleansing
John D. Harvey
Arkham House Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 546, Sauk City, WI 53583
0870541811 $32.95 arkhamhouse.com

The Cleansing by John D. Harvey is an imaginative, original, and superbly crafted saga about an American Indian wolf god who comes to Earth to punish humanity for its abuse of nature. A murderous wolfpack begins to exterminate entire villages, until an Indian shaman turns the wolf god into human form, leaving him to interact with the people he sought to punish while struggling to maintain control of his pack. A dramatic and exciting supernatural showdown, The Cleansing documents John Harvey as a truly gifted writer and storyteller, and is enthusiastically recommended reading for fantasy fiction enthusiasts.

Daw Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
1-800-847-5515 www.amazon.com

Two new titles are highly recommended picks. Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley who may have missed some of her Darkover novels now have the opportunity to enjoy two linked classics under one cover, for Forbidden Circle (0756400945, $7.99) holds The Spell Sword and The Forbidden Tower in its omnibus edition. Relationships between the alien human Andrew Carr and the trained keeper Callista make for engrossing reading. C.J. Cherryh's Explorer (0756400864, $23.95) tells of an abandoned station revisited by the starship which deserted it ten years ago. A peaceful coexistance by the alien invading humans and the planet's natives is threatened by the ship's return and the intrigue and truths which are revealed.

Dissolution
Richard Lee Byers
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707
0786927143 $24.95 www.wizards.com

Book One of a planned six-part "War of the Spider Queen" series, Dissolution by Richard lee Byers is a demonstrably terrific fantasy adventure novel set amid the dark elves and their labyrinth-like underground civilization, in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons and Dragons role-play gaming. Webs of treachery and intrigue unfold in a world where a dark elf's greatest enemy can only be another dark elf. Four champions are on a deadly quest to save the entire dark elf race from extinction! Dissolution is a simply fascinating saga of evil in secret war with itself, gripping the reader's rapt attention from first page to last!

Ace Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1-800-847-5515 www.amazon.com

Nina Kiriki Hoffman's new A Fistful Of Sky (1441009751, $23.95) tells of a young woman facing a life without the magical transformation which traditionally changes members of her family. She can live with being ordinary; but one day an unexpected change turns her life in a new direction. Newcomers as well as fans of Hoffman's lyrical style and strong protagonists will find this an absorbing read. Allen Steele's Coyote (1441009743, $23.95) departs from the author's prior novels, providing a sweeping epic story of Earth's first interstellar colonists and the planet which becomes their new home. A hijacked starship, renegade pioneers, and a new world which will challenge their survival skills makes for fast-paced action and strong characters.

The Day Of The Nefilim
D. L. Major
Metropolis Ink
5629 Windstone, Cave Creek, AZ 85331
0957985894 $16.95 metropolisink.com

The Day Of The Nefilim by D. L. Major is an impressively written science fiction saga that involves culture clashes between humans, underground mutant races who yearn for the surface, an alien civilization chasing after their lost home planet in Earth's solar system, and much, much more. The Day Of The Nefilim is highly recommended to science fiction enthusiasts as an engaging, mixed-up adventure of conflict, negotiation, back-stabbing, conspiracy, -- and a small-town girl who unknowingly impacts upon it all.


The World History Shelf

A Chronicle Of World History
Frank P. King
University Press of America
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0761822534 $59.00 univpress.com

A Chronicle Of World History: From 130,000 Years Ago To The Eve Of A.D. 2000 by independent scholar and freelance writer Frank P. King is an impressive, 480-page compendium of human history from its pre-historic origins down to the present day. The brief and succinct entries are organized by date and rang from a single sentence to a small paragraph. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in history, A Chronicle Of World History is as much fun to simply browse through, as it is informative. Highly recommended for personal, school, and community library collections.

Ancient China And Its Enemies
Nicola Di Cosmo
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th Street, NY, NY 10011-4211
0521770645 $70.00 www.cambridge.org

Ancient China And Its Enemies: The Rise Of Nomadic Power In East Asian History by Nicola Di Cosmo (Senior Lecturer in Chinese History at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand) is a carefully researched and superbly presented history of the northern frontier of China from 900 to 1000 B.C., combining both Chinese historical texts and archaeological evidence. From the rise of pastoral nomadism in Eurasia, to the first contacts between horse-riding nomads and Chinese states, to a large-scale political shift in China from appeasement to military engagement, Ancient China And Its Enemies is a fascinating, detailed, scholarly, and very strongly recommended historical survey and analysis.

A Perfect Harmony
Roger A. Caras
Purdue University Press
1207 South Campus Courts - Bldg. E, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1207
1557532419 $14.95 1-800-933-9637

A Perfect Harmony: The Intertwining Lives Of Animals And Humans throughout History by animal expert and author Roger A. Caras is a fascinating, informative, and enlightening look at how domesticating animals forever changed human history and created the fundamental basis (along with agriculture) for the rise of human civilization. From pastoral livestock, to burden bearers, to controlled, fostered, and protected resources for hunters, animals have served human needs for thousands of years, and so helped shape the world as we know it today. Illustrated with black-and-white artwork, A Perfect Harmony offers a wealth of detail in a thoroughly "reader friendly" text which is very highly recommended for all animal rights activists and wildlife/animal companion enthusiasts interested in learning more about man's interdependence upon our domesticated livestock.

Witness To History
Robert Hopkins
Castle Pacific Publishing Company
1301 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
0965386945 $19.95 castlepacific.com

Witness To History is the personal story of Robert Hopkins, who was a military photographer and who actively documented World War II. Robert Hopkins (the son of Harry Hopkins, one of Franklin Roosevelt's primary advisors during WWII) candidly shares his observations as a spectator to world history in the making. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and interspersed with a very personal viewpoint on the men who were to shape nations, Witness To History offers contemporary readers a candid, memorable, informative "window" into the dawn of what was to become a new global era, and the men who were responsible for a battered and divided world rising from the ashes of war.

Roman Hospitality
John DeFelice
Shangri-La Publications
3 Coburn Hill Road, Warren Center, PA 18851-0065
0967720176 $39.50 shangri-la.ocatch.com

The fourth title in the scholastically outstanding "Marco Polo Monographs" series, Roman Hospitality: The Professional Women Of Pompeii by John DeFelice, is an informed and informative historical study of the sex trade in ancient Pompeii. From excavated brothels, to the subtle nuances of marriage in the eyes of the law vs. informal marriages among slaves, Roman Hospitality studies sex and sexuality in a very evenhanded manner, thoroughly documenting its hypotheses, and offering a very thorough bibliography. An essential addition to academic reference collections and reading lists, Roman Hospitality is a seminal and extremely important contribution to the study of Roman culture and history.

Getting Around
H. Roger Grant
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575241536 $29.50 krieger-publishing.com

Part of the outstanding "Exploring Community History" series from the Krieger Publishing Company, Getting Around: Exploring Transportation History was meticulously researched and accessibly written by H. Roger Grant to provide the reader with an adventurous and informative historical survey of the evolution of various transit venues, ranging from natural waterways and roads, to canals, railroads, aviation, and more. Black-and-white photographs nicely illustrate this detailed and thoughtful chronology encompassing landmark inventions, famous personalities, and tragic accidents down through the centuries. An insightful look at a vital piece of human history which is also available in a trade paperback format (1575242257; $24.50), Getting Around is a very welcome contribution to the History of Transportation and a highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, or community library collection.

Craze
Jessica Warner
Four Walls Eight Windows
39 W. 14th St. #503, New York NY 10011
1568582315 $24.95 www.4w8w.com

Meticulously researched and deftly written by Jessica Warner, Craze is an informed and informative social history into the mania for gin which overtook London during the early 18th century probes why the society of the times become involved in gin as a drug, and how the working poor became addicted to it. The passion for alcohol and its role in supporting a rickety English social system makes for a thought-provoking analysis and a lively history.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Partner In Crime
J.A. Jance
William Morrow & Company
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
0380977303 $24.95 1-800-242-7737

A dead artist leads Sheriff Joanna Brady to investigate, only to uncover a background with ties to a big city legal world. Fast-paced tension evolves as Joanna faces a questionable investigator, emotional challenges, and an increasingly complex set of twists and turns. Partner In Crime is an excellent mystery packed with personable protagonists.

Restless Spirit
S. D. Tooley
Full Moon Publishing
PO Box 408, Schererville, IN 46375
0966602161 $22.95 1-888-922-1203

A Sam Casey Mystery by S. D. Tooley, Restless Spirit offers a blend of intrigue, suspense, and mysticism drawn from Native American lore. The story is about a young woman's brutal murder, a man wrongly convicted of the crime, and the husband and wife who must unearth the truth about what really happened and who was responsible. Meticulously crafted, interlocking layers of deception and jealously guarded secrets interweave in this superbly written mystery novel which is enthusiastically recommended for mystery buffs. Also very highly recommended for dedicated mystery buffs are Tooley's two earlier Sam Casey mystery novels: When The Dead Speak (0966602137; $6.50) and Nothing Else Matters (0966602129; $22.95).

A Draught For A Dead Man
Caroline Roe
Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0425186482 $22.95 1-800-847-5515

Isaac has been invited to attend the wedding of his friend's son an easy journey by mule but finds in the city he visits a world of politics, deadly alliances, and danger. Set in medieval Spain, A Draught For A Dead Man provides a riveting mystery and story of a healer who must handle murder and social changes alike.

The Price
Kathi Mills-Macias
Broadman & Holman Publishers
127 Ninth Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37234
0805425667 $12.99 1-800-251-3225

Deftly written by Kathi Mills-Macias, The Price is a compelling and original novel of suspense, intrigue, and recovery from devastation. Having learned to make peace with her father's murder, Toni Matthews has finally found a new romance to color her life. Yet when her sister's best friend is crippled in a high school shooting, it once again turns Toni personal world upside down and leads her into an investigative maze. A story of dark hearts and finding inner strength, The Price is a dark saga for the modern age. Also highly recommended is the previous Toni Matthews mystery Obsession (0805421491; $12.99).


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collectable Paperback Books
Jeff Canja
Glenmoor Publishing
PO Box 4514, East Lansing, MI 48826
0967363950 $29.95 1-517-374-4181

Now in an fully updated and expanded second edition, Collectable Paperback Books by Jeff Canja is a straightforward reference and price guide to vintage paperback books featuring 12,625 authentic market prices ranging from $5 to $500! Black-and-white illustrations of book covers pepper the extensive price list comprises this invaluable and authoritative guide; along with a brief section at the beginning which teaches the novice collector about grading the condition of vintage paperbacks, distinguishing collectible books from ones that aren't worth very much, and more. Also included is a selection of publisher profiles, famous cover artists, and author pseudonyms. Collectable Paperback Books is an indispensable and strongly recommended reference for collectors, dealers, bookstore staff members, and anyone simply wanting to assess their personal or family library of vintage paperback books.

Flea Market Fidos
Barri Leiner & Marie Moss
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
115 W. 18th St., New York NY 10011
1584792531 $19.95 1-212-519-1200

Dog junk and canine collectibles haven't received their own collectibles guidebook before: enter Flea Market Fidos, a unique guide to canine collectibles which covers everything from dog drawings, to crafts and stuffed animals. Besides history and values, Flea Market Fidos also covers the best shops, flea markets, and web sites for locating canine valuables.

Knives 2003
Joe Kertzman, Editor
Krause Publications
700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
0873494482 $22.95 1-800-258-0929

This outstanding showcase of new 2003 custom blades features a brand new eight page color section to accompany over 1,000 black and white photos and an in-depth history covering knives and their custom designs. From scrimshaw and ancient steels to a directory of knifemakers and suppliers, Knives 2003 comes packed cover to cover with invaluable information, in-depth history and detail.

Collector Books
PO Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009

Four newly updated editions of basic guides to collectibles continue to expand the home library of collectors. B.J. Summers' Guide To Coca Cola (1574323121, $24.95) appears in its fourth edition to provide small but excellent color photos and the latest values on coca cola ad items; Betty and Bill Newbound's Best Of Blue Ridge Dinnerware (157432294X, $24.95) provides a fine identification and value guide to this folk art style of dinner ceramics; Russell and Steve Quertermous's Modern Guns (1574323059, $14.95) presents a completely revised, updated edition to survey rifles, shotguns, and handguns of all styles; and Russell Lewis' Modern Fishing Lure Collectibles (1574323040, $24.95) appears with Volume 2, an updated identification and value guide to all kinds of lures. All are essential for ebay participants and avid collectors.


The Travel Shelf

Traveling Florida
Cathy & Vernon Summerlin
John F. Blair Publisher
1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem NC 27103
0895872420 $18.95 1-800-222-9796

The collaborative effort of Cathy and Vernon Summerlin, Traveling Florida focuses entirely on Florida, and promotes over thirty loop driving tours which cover both well-known spots and undiscovered havens throughout the state. The inclusion of maps would have made this even more valuable, but the blend of regional history, travelogue, and candid assessments of lodging and restaurants alike makes for an involving, recommended guide for anyone who is planning a trip to Florida.

In The Footsteps Of George Washington
William G. Clotworthy
McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co.
c/o University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 166, Reno, NV, 89557-0076
0939923793 $24.95 1-877-682-6657

In The Footsteps Of George Washington by William G. Clotworthy is combines a brief and unusual biography with a travel guide to some 300 publicly accessible sites associated with the life of America's first president. From his birthplace and childhood home, to sites associated with his business, military, and political achievements, In The Footsteps Of George Washington is a unique compendium which is especially appropriate for vacationers seeking to get in touch with the personalities, events, and places most closely associated with the founding and development of the American nation. Indeed, the travels of George Washington took him from a frontier settlement in the Potomac Valley where he worked as a surveyor, to his military battles up and down the Atlantic seaboard. George Washington visited more of what was the united States during the years of his presidency, than did any subsequent American president during the 19th century. It was only with the technological improvements in transportation that 20th century presidents would match the travel accomplishments of our Founding Father. Also very highly recommended is William Clotworthy's other book: Homes And Libraries Of The Presidents: Second Edition (0939923831; $24.95) and Presidential Sites: A Directory Of Places Associated With Presidents Of The United States (0939923645; $18.95).

Great American Motorcycle Tours
Gary McKechnie
Avalon Travel Publishing
1400 65th St, #250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1566914485 $19.95 travelmatters.com

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Great American Motorcycle Tours by Gary McKechnie offers the reader a wide variety of suggested motorcycle tours ideal for vacationers and cyclists looking for history, excitement, and the joy of the open road. Different tours appeal to different tastes, such an Amish Country Run stretching from New Hope to Intercourse, Pennsylvania, or a Wild West Run from Livingston, Montana to Jackson, Wyoming. Each individual tour has numerous historic stops, and any attraction can be easily looked up in the index for "user friendly" cross-referencing. Overall, Great American Motorcycle Tours is an enjoyable, practical, and very highly recommended guide.

Maui Trailblazer
Jerry Sprout & Janine Sprout
Diamond Valley Company, Publisher
89 Lower Manzanita Drive, Markleeville, CA 96120
www.trailblazertravelbooks.com
0967007240 $15.95 1-530-694-2740

Collaboratively researched and written by travel experts Jerry and Janine Sprout, Maui Trailblazer: Where To Hike, Snorkel, Paddle, Surf, Drive is a genuinely excellent resource to great hikes, relaxing and adventurous activities, trailheads, nine driving tours available in sunny Maui, a part of Hawaii island group. The "user friendly" text is wonderfully enhanced with more than 200 black-and-white photographs, ten maps, a "Resource Links" section with contact information for accommodations, recreational outfitters, transportation resources, and general visitor information, as well as detailed summaries of the highlights of vacationing. If you are planning to visit Maui, begin your itinerary planning by browsing through Jerry and Janine Sprout's Maui Trailblazer!

Miraculous Air
C. M. Mayo
The University of Utah Press
1795 E. South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
0874807409 $24.95 1-800-773-6672

Miraculous Air is an evocative and superbly written travelogue by C. M. Mayo and her travels across Baja California, also known as "the other Mexico." The title is a nod to the famous classic author John Steinbeck, who wrote "The very air here is miraculous and outlines of reality change with the moment"; and Miraculous Air does indeed reveal an eclectic and exciting land, showcasing the people who truly live up to those words. Miraculous Air is very highly recommended reading, especially for armchair travelers, as well as anyone thinking of traversing the very special California peninsula known a Baja!

Vegetarian Restaurants & Natural Food Stores
John Howley
Torchlight Publishing
PO Box 52, Badger, CA 93603
1887089446 $19.95 www.torchlight.com

Compiled by world traveler and dedicated vegetarian John Howley, Vegetarian Restaurants & Natural Food Stores is an exhaustive, thoroughly "user friendly" guide on where to buy natural foods or eat vegetarian meals throughout America. Especially recommended as being an excellent resource for vegetarians on vacation, business trips, or who have moved into a new community, Vegetarian Restaurants & Natural Food Stores lists restaurants and stores by state, and includes addresses, phone numbers, open hours, comments, and very detailed directions for each place.

Ulysses Press
Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703
1-800-377-2542 www.amazon.com

Richard Harris' updated third edition Hidden Baja (1569752915, $14.95) covers everything from beaches and lodging to outdoor adventure travel in Baja, providing details on a wealth of outdoor activities for those who are oriented toward adventure travel. Lesser-known byways of the region are the focus in a title packed with tips on travel through the region. Also newly updated is Beatrice Blake and Anne Becher's New Key To Costa Rica (1569753164, $18.95), which promotes eco travel and outdoor adventures. Opinionated reviews cover both historic sites and outdoor adventure journeys, making for an absorbing and revealing guide.

Tucson Hiking Guide
Betty Leavengood
Pruett Publishing Company
7464 Arapahoe Road, Suite A-9, Boulder, CO 80303
0871088657 $16.95 1-800-247-8224

Now in a thoroughly updated second edition, Tucson Hiking Guide by experienced Tucson hiker Betty Leavengood offers thirty-four hikes grouped by mountain range, and ranked from easy to difficult. Most of these journies past superb scenic mountain vistas are only a short drive from downtown Tucson. Maps, photos, elevation/distance profiles, trail access information, historical notes, personal anecdotes, and much, much more fill this solid and thorough guide from cover to cover enabling anyone to see and experience the natural splendor of the Tucson area on foot.


The Fiction Shelf

Autley House: A Spy Novel
Brett F. Woods
Sycamore Island Books
c/o Paladin Press, dist.
7077 Winchester Cir., Boulder CO 80301
1581603533 $24.95 paladin-press.com

Brett Woods' Autley House: A Spy Novel is a dark, suspenseful novel of espionage and black ops within the U.S. government. Sal Franco is a senior FBI investigator assigned to a string of murders of elderly Department of Defense scientists. The killings are orchestrated by Damon Cory, a U.S. Army colonel following shadowy and twisted instructions. Autley House is highly recommended as a thrilling and adventurous mind game from first page to last.

Ohio Angels
Harriet Scott Chessman
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
1583225196 $21.95 sevenstories.com

Ohio Angels is Harriet Scott Chessman's debut novel about the emotional conflicts of two female friends who have to balance their own talents and needs with the demands of family - whether caring for an aging, demanding mother or supporting a husband's career or abandoning one's own talents to look after children. Very strongly recommended for its thoughtful examination of conflicting pulls upon woman's life, Ohio Angels very clearly documents Chessman as an accomplished novelist with a particular gift for writing literate prose with a pronounced lyrical flair.

Moist
Mark Haskell Smith
LA Weekly Books/St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0312303645 $24.95 www.stmartins.com

An original and deftly written novel by Mark Haskell Smith, Moist is an outrageously sexual, shocking, and sometimes ludicrous adventure in which minimum-wage mortuary worker named Bob is in search of true love only to find a most unusual severed arm, and become entangled with a one-armed murderer obsessed with Mexican soap opera, a band of mobsters who share certain character traits with LAPD's finest, and other messed-up, drugged-out, or terminally oversexed individuals. Moist is lively and recommended reading as a sure-to-please, zesty satire with a flair for skirting the raw edge of life and love.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Mujeres y Mariachi
Juanita Ulloa
Ulloa Productions
Box 19111, Oakland, CA 94619
B000063D6K $16.99 www.amazon.com

Fans of Mexican mariachi sound and music will want to consider this an indispensable addition to any collection: it provides a range of mariachi women and artists who perform boleros, huapangos, ranchera and other styles of marichi music. The result is a diverse exploration of the underlying meanings and structure of the mariachi sound.

Fourth World
R. Carlos Nakai
Canyon Records
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
B00006BXHV $15.98 1-800-268-1141

Nakai is really branching out with his latest cds, and Fourth World represents the ongoing blending of classic Native American flute with other instruments, offering a refreshing diversity of sound and feeling. Here Nakai world with the symphonic instruments of strings, oboe, trumpet and French horns, among others, to provide a diverse new range of music. Any who have enjoyed the Native flute but seek something more complex will welcome this new title.


The Literary Shelf

The Brothers Grimm
Jack Zipes
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0312293801 $18.95 www.palgrave.com

The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests To The Modern World by Jack Zipes (Professor of German, University of Minnesota) is an informed and informative examination of the lives of the famous fairy tale gatherers, writers, and preservers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. From their humble origins amidst poverty and prejudice to their ultimate contribution to literature as a whole, The Brothers Grimm is a truly fascinating account and a "must-read" for serious students of European fantasy literature and folklore.

Cervantes In Algiers
Maria Antonia Garces
Vanderbilt University Press
Box 1813, Station B, Nashville, TN 37235
0826514065 $39.95 1-800-627-7377

Cervantes In Algiers: A Captive's Tale is a meticulously researched and scholarly study by Maria Antonia Garces (Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies, Cornell University) of the years that Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the celebrated Hispanic literary masterpiece "Don Quixote", spent as a slave and prisoner of the Muslims in Algiers. Examining how captivity affected Cervantes and his writing, the complex interplay between Christian Spain and Islam, and searching for enduring truths that reflect throughout history and modern times, Cervantes In Algiers is clearly a "must-read" title for any devoted reader or scholar of Cervantes' classic work and enduringly popular work.

The Beginnings Of German Literature
Cyril Edwards
Camden House
668 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
157113235X $70.00 1-585-275-0419

The Beginnings Of German Literature: Comparative And Interdisciplinary Approaches To Old High German by Cyril Edwards (Lecturer in German at St. Peter's College, Oxford and an Honorary Research Fellow of University College, London) is a meticulous and scholarly survey of the origins of German literature. Seven main essays study the earliest surviving German texts, the beginnings of German lyric, and specific works such as the Merseburg Charms. A college-level scrutiny given to fine detail, exhaustive research enhanced with extensive annotation. Black-and-white photographs show images of surviving medieval texts. No academic reference collection in Germanic Studies in general, and German Literature in particular, can be considered complete (or even adequate) without the inclusion of Cyril Edwards' The Beginnings Of German Literature.


The Library Science Shelf

101+ Teen Programs That Work
RoseMary Honnold
Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
100 Varick Street, NY, NY 10013
1555704530 $49.95 neal-schuman.com

101+ Teen Programs That Work by RoseMary Honnold (Young Adult Coordinator, Choshocton Public Library) is an informed and informative compilation of fun, educational, and exciting school and community library-based programs for children and teenagers. Tried and tested favorites include library-themed scavenger hunts, reading programs, trivia games, craft programs such as sand painting and tie dye, party and lock-in activities, and much, much more. An excellent resource for educators and parents alike, 101+ Teen Programs That Work is a welcome and valued addition to any school or community library resource or "Friends of the Library" reference collection.


The Library Video Shelf

Fires In The Mirror
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
1569942617 $19.95 1-800-424-2593

Fires In The Mirror is a dramatic and serious retelling of an American tragedy, when in August 1991, racial tensions, an accidental death, and a retaliatory murder combined to spark horrific riots in the Brooklyn community of Crown Heights. Actress Anna Deavere Smith (well-known for her current role in the popular television series "The West Wing"), dramatically re-enacts the words of victims, rivals, and eyewitnesses to the riots in an effort to paint a clear picture for the viewer of what really happened and why. Fires In The Mirror is a very strongly recommended addition to school and community library video collections. 87 minutes.

The High Middle Ages
Philip Daileader
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
#869 $199.95 www.teach12.com

Philip Daileader is Assistant Professor of History at the College of William and Mary, and four-time winner of Harvard's Certificate of Distinction in Teaching. In The High Middle Ages, Professor Daileader articulate presents a course of twenty-four 30 minute lectures covering medieval European history, culture, and personalities between 1000 and 1300 A.D. Compiled into six videos (three to a box in a two-boxed set), these articulate, informed and informative lectures begins by explaining the linguistic history of the descriptive term "Middle Ages", the goes on to describe and analyze the demography, social structure, economic conditions, historical events, and belief systems of the populace, as well as numerous and significant figures ranging from St. Francis of Assisi and Thomas Aquinas to Philip II of France and Emperor Frederick II. Of special interest are the lectures on "The Medieval Inquisitions"; "The Origins of Scholasticism"; "The Conquest of Jerusalem"; and "Empire versus Papacy". All throughout this impressive presented series, Professor Daileader's articulate discourse is marked by considerable wit and is enhanced with informative graphics. Accompanied by a detailed and "user friendly" Course Guidebook, making this educational video series ideal for non-specialist general viewers with an interest in Medieval European History, The High Middle Ages is a superbly produced production and highly recommended for both academic and community library systems.

The Man Who Lost the Civil War
Peter Spirer, et al.
University of New Mexico Press
1720 Lomas Blvd., NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1591
0826330061 $29.95 1-800-249-7737

The Man Who Lost the Civil War is the relatively unknown story of Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley, who had a vision in 1861 as to how the Confederacy could win the American Civil War and become recognized internationally as a viable nation. Yet Sibley's ideas of a glorious campaign in the New Mexico desert were disastrously hampered by his personal flaws, including his continual alcoholic intoxication to alleviate the pain of his chronic kidney stones. Highly recommended viewing for Civil War buffs, The Man Who Lost the Civil War is a 48 minute video documentary (produced and directed by Peter Spirer, and ably narrated by Morgan Sheppard) of how Sibley's disastrous campaign affected the course of history and weaves an amazing and unforgettable portrait of human aspirations and shortcomings.

Chartres Cathedral: A Sacred Geometry
Golden Age Productions
c/o Janson Associates
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
1568390912 $24.95 www.janson.com

Chartres Cathedral: A Sacred Geometry is a brilliantly conceived and superbly presented documentary showcasing the majestic Chartres Cathedral in France with its forty-four magnificent stained-glass windows (including three rose windows) relating the Biblical story from the creation of the world to Judgement Day. The 12th century labyrinth in the nave paving is the largest and best preserved surviving example of a medieval labyrinth in France. Impressive filming surveying centuries of history, as well as the artisan genius behind such a grand structure which has succeeded in weathering the test of time combine to present a truly captivating 60 minute video. Highly recommended for students of European architecture, history, and medieval culture, Chartres Cathedral: A Sacred Geometry is also available in a DVD format ($24.95).

Our Town
Bridgestone Multimedia
c/o Alpha Omega Publications
300 North McKemy Avenue, Chandler, AZ 84226-2618
1563712903 $7.95 1-800-523-0988

Our Town is the classic black-and-white Hollywood movie rendition of the Pulitzer-prize winning stage play Thornton Wilder. Our Town is about George (William Holden) and Emily (Martha Scott), a young couple in the heartland of small town America, who gradually learn to share their highest hopes and dreams. Along the way they experience the friendships, laughter, loves and loss that are all part of ordinary day-to-day life in a small town filled with a roster of memorable friends, family, and neighbors. A perfect choice for any community library movie and video collection, Our Town is an unforgettable and thoroughly "family friendly" cinematic masterpiece. VHS, 90 minutes.

Major Payne
Universal Studios Home Video
10 Universal City Plaza, Suite 700, Universal City, CA 91608
#20513 DVD $24.98 www.amazon.com

Damon Wayans stars in Major Payne, a raucous and energetic comedy about an officer in the United States Marine Corps Special Forces who, upon failing to be promoted, is discharged from the corps and the only thing he knows how to do -- commit bodily harm upon the enemy. His commanding officer arranges for him to become the commander of the Madison Academy Junior ROTC. There he encounters an motley assortment of youngsters who are, if anything, even more dysfunctional than he is. He also encounters the school counselor Emily Walburn (Karyn Parsons) who is rather alarmed at the rather unorthodox training methods and measures that Payne employs to bring his young charges up to a military standard of excellence in their behavior, attitude, and accomplishments. The culmination is an ROTC competition with other boarding schools. Although available in a VHS videotape format, Major Payne really should be viewed in the DVD format which offers a widescreen presentation and original theatrical release condition that fully and completely showcases this imaginative story with its non-stop, sometimes slapstick, always high-energy, comedy.


The Political Science Shelf

The Politics Of Presidential Appointment
Sheldon Hackney
NewSouth Books
PO Box 1588, Montgomery, AL 36102
1588380688 $25.95 newsouthbooks.com

The Politics Of Presidential Appointment: A Memoir Of The Culture War by historian Sheldon Hackney (University of Pennsylvania) is a politically charged testimony of the so-called "Culture Wars." The former president of the University of Pennsylvania, Sheldon Hackney tells of how his nomination to become President Bill Clinton's chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities touched off heated fire from right-wing conservatives. Polarized opinions and the deleterious fallout from vehement accusations from both the left and right sides of life issues are considered in the sobering and insightful account. Enhanced with a Foreword by Vernon Jordan, The Politics Of Presidential Appointment is a welcome and illuminating contribution to contemporary Political Science reference collections and reading lists.

Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story
Antonia Felix
Newmarket Press
18 East 48th Street, NY, NY 10017
1557045399 $19.95 1-800-669-3903

Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story by author, historian, and biographer Antonia Felix is the engaging story of the strong-willed and remarkable black woman, Condoleezza Rice, who served Present George Herbert WalkerBush as his National Security Advisor, and a continues to serve in that same capacity (as well as being a close personal confidant) to President George W. Bush. Biographer Felix draws upon exclusive interviews with dozens of people from Condoleezza's life in highlighting her character, ranging from her deep commitment to her religious faith, to her personal loyalty and passions for music, football, and Russian culture. Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story is an amazing portrait of a great woman and is very highly recommended reading for students of current events, Black Studies, and contemporary political science.

Government Failure
Gordon Tullock, et.al.
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
1930865201 $9.95 1-800-767-1241

Government Failure is an invaluable primer in public choice which persuasively points out that the romantic view of government bureaucrats who rescue the public mixes up the real relationship between economics and politics. Individual chapters show how special interest groups use the state for their own good rather than in public interests, and how government solutions often pose more problems than they cure.


The Cookbook Shelf

Snack Attack
Mad Coyote Joe
Northland Publishers
PO Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86002
0-87358-808-8 $9.95 northlandpub.com

Quick recipes provide a range of snacks for conquering cravings; from Spicy Marinated Mozarella which can be eaten with baked bread to a southwest version of Pigs in a Blanket which uses refrigerator crescent rolls for the wrap. Color photos add to the appeal of these quick dishes.

Broadway Books
1540 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036
1-800-726-0600 www.amazon.com

One wouldn't believe an entire book could be written on caviar; but Inga Saffron's Caviar (076796233, $23.95) is packed with interesting facts, from the initial story of how the eggs of a sturgeon became food for the high class and a coveted status symbol to the history of caviar consumption in the world. From Russia to New York, this packs in interesting facts and details to please any who would enjoy a culinary history. Michael Rosen and Sharon Reiss' superbly presented Midnight Snacks (0767911040, $16.95) provides over a hundred alternatives to snacking on ice cream. Both sweet and savory dishes are provided; from fig toast with cheese to Hot and Sweet Pumpkin Seeds. Innovative, intriguing dishes. Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets (0767906810, $26.00) gathers desserts from Paris bakeries, providing dishes which range from classic madeleine cookies to chef's specialty creations. This is much more than another dessert cookbook however; the author adds her insights on Parisian chefs and culinary achievements to spice the presentation.

Miserly Meals
Jonni McCoy
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
0764226134 $12.99 1-800-328-6109

Compiled by Jonni McCoy, Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75› Per Serving is a simply wonderful compendium of delicious, inexpensive, step-by-step, "kitchen friendly" recipes that would grace any meal and satisfy any appetite. From Egg Drop Soup; Blackened Fish; Black Bean Burgers; Turkey Gumbo; and Lemon Chicken; to Salmon Cakes; French Bread; Fat-Free Zucchini Bread; Honey Butter; and Berry Cobbler, Miserly Meals is an enthusiastically recommended, budget thrifty addition to any family cookbook collection.

Ohio Cook Book
Golden West Publishers
4113 N. Longview Ave. Phenix AZ 85014
1885590474 $6.95 1-800-568-5830

Featuring more than 125 "Buckeye" state favorites, the Ohio Cook Book showcases recipes for tasty appetizers, Hearty Breakfasts, Amish dishes, heritage specialities, entrees, desserts, bread and muffins. Laced with tidbits of Ohio trivia (there have been seven Ohioans who became U.S. Presidents), the culinary selections range from Poor Nick's Caviar; Lake Erie Fish-Corn Chowder; Hamburger Pie; and Mom's Butterscotch Pie; to Hawaiian French Toast; Sugar Free Rhubarb-Strawberry Salad; Grandma Ratliff's Chicken & Dumplings; and Butter Brickle Bread. Part of the outstanding "Cooking Across America Cookbook Collection" series, The Ohio Cook Book is an inexpensive and enthusiastically recommended addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

The New Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did! Low Carb Cookbook
Nancy Moshier, RN
Nancy's Cookbooks, Inc./NBN, dist.
PO Box 338, Garrison, MN 56450
0970102909 $15.99 1-800-462-6420

Nancy Moshier draws upon both her personal experience in losing 102 pounds, as well as her professional expertise as a registered nurse, in assembling the reader-friendly advice and kitchen-friendly recipes comprising The New Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did! Low Carb Cookbook. From Smoked Sausage Appetizers; Spice Doughnut Holes; Oyster Stew; and Sun Dried Tomato Mushroom Vinaigrette Salad Dressing; to Pizza Roll Meatloaf; Broiled Halibut with Citrus Dill Butter; Sauteed Sesame Asparagus; and Cherry Cinnamon Dessert, The New Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did! Low Carb Cookbook showcases a culinary wealth of savory, sensible, delicious, and dieting appropriate dishes that would grace any table and contribute to any weight control regimen. Also very highly and enthusiastically recommended for sugar free, low carb dieters is Nancy Moshier's Eat Yourself Thin With Fabulous Desserts (0970102917, $13.99).

The Everything Diabetes Cookbook
Pamela Rice Hahn
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield St, 2nd fl, Avon, MA 02322
1580626912 $14.95 1-800-872-5627

Diabetes is controlled through a combination of medication, exercise, weight control, and diet. Indeed, if caught earlier enough, some forms of diabetes can be controlled through exercise and diet without the need for insulin injections. The Everything Diabetes Cookbook is the most "user friendly" of all the diabetes oriented culinary references and offers more than three hundred nutritious recipes and imaginative menu ideas that will please the palate and grace any meal from simple family dining, to celebratory dinners, to holiday party snacks. From Hawaiian-Style Bread; Crab Cakes with Sesame Crust; Nutty Greek Snapper Soup; and Sweet Potato Crisps; to Cranberry-Turkey Sausage; Broccoli-Cauliflower Slaw; Apple Cookies with a Kick; and Peachy Ginger Ale, The Everything Diabetes Cookbook has wonderful selections offering a true culinary diversity completely appropriate for diabetic menu planning all year round.

The Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook
Roberta Kalechofsky
Micah Publications, Inc.
255 Humphrey Street, Marblehead, MA 01945-1645
0916288471 $13.00 micahbooks.com

Assembled by vegetarian Roberta Kalechofsky, The Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook: Feasts Of Freedom offers a superbly presented selection of delicious vegetarian recipes appropriate for a Jewish culinary celebration of Pesach week. Enhanced with new guidelines on kitnyot; informative commentary on the relationship between the diet, the environment, and energy; and a "user friendly" index, The Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook showcases recipes for soups, salads, vegetables, side dishes, main dishes, and desserts. From Lima Bean Roast; Vegetable Bake; Vegetable and Matzoh Casserole; and Cauliflower Soup; to Potato-Mushroom Kugel; Eggplant Caviar; Oriental Cabbage and Green Apple Slaw; and No Bake Chocolate Matzoh Roll; The Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook is an especially welcome addition vegetarian cookbook collections in general, and the culinary reference shelf for Jewish vegetarians in particular.

Clarkson Potter Publishers
299 Park Avenue, New York NY 10071
1-800-726-0600 www.amazon.com

Three new cookbooks arrive just in time for the holidays, providing good gift choices for any who would shop with a cook in mind. The Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine's Complete Book Of Pasta And Noodles (060980930X, $19.95) provides over 400 recipes for pastas and thirteen chapters on sauces alone. What's lacking in the way of color photos is made up for in a comprehensive coverage which includes tested recipes for both classic and unusual pasta dishes. Hot Toddies by Christopher O'Hara (0609610074, $16.95) will gain particular appeal in the cold winter months, providing recipes for buttered rum, spiced cider, and other warm winter drinks. Make a traditional Wassail Bowl of mixed cider and herbs, or a breakfast Mimosa, with the aid of this guide. Ellen Leong Blonder's Dim Sum (0609608878, $25.00) covers the Chinese tea lunch and pastries which make it exceptional. Sixty authentic recipes are paired with the author's own watercolor paintings. Access to a market with some Asian ingredients, such as wrappers, is required along with a patience to make these tasty finger dishes.

Everything Tastes Better With Bacon
Sara Perry
Chronicle Publishing
85 2nd Street, 6th floor, San Francisco CA 94105
0811832392 $18.95 1-800-722-6657

Everything Tastes Better With Bacon showcases over seventy recipes to demonstrate how bacon can be utilized in virtually every meal of the day; from traditional breakfast dishes such as Bacon Biscuits to Sizzling Herb Pasta and Cobb Salad. Color photos add to the attractions, while the inclusion of many innovative dishes such as Bacon-Wrapped Zucchini Flans, makes for a delightful presentation.

Cooking With Cajun Women
Nicole Denee Fontenot
Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Ave., NY NY 10016
0781809320 $24.95 1-718-454-2366

Nicole Denee Fontenot spent two years interviewing Cajun women who grew up in the first half of the 20th century, and presents her research in Cooking With Cajun Women, a simply terrific blend of cookbook and anecdotes of older times when all food was homemade. Memories appear as highlighted sidebars to accompany dishes such as Fig Jam and Berry and Seafood Gumbo Cajun-Style.

Meredith Books
1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309
1-800-678-8091 www.amazon.com

Two excellent new Better Homes & Gardens books provide very busy cooks with welcome respite from wondering what to prepare and just how quickly it will all go together. 500 Five Ingredient Recipes (0696215470, $14.95) appears in spiral binding for easy lay-flat use and provide main dishes, salads, and side dishes which use five easily-found ingredients each. Canned goods are one of the keys to quick preparations here, and access to a good deli for such items as corned beef for a Rueben Loaf will help. Slow Cooker Recipes (0696215462, $19.95) provides a range of dishes from main dishes to desserts; all of which can be prepared in the slow cooker. From Pork Roast with Curry to Savory Barbecue Chicken, this is packed with quick cooking ideas. No photos in these, but the easy recipes don't need embellishment.

New Wave Asian
Sri Owen
Whitecap/Graphic Arts Center Pub.
PO Box 10306, Portland, OR 97296-0306
1552853721 $24.95 1-800-452-3032

New Wave Asian: A Guide To The Southeast Asian Food Revolution showcases 125 classic and contemporary recipes drawn from the fabled cuisines of Asia and adapted for American kitchens. From Fresh Shiitake Stuffed with Vegetable Tartar; Vietnamese Hot-and-Sour Soup of Duck and Bamboo Shoots; Fried Snapper and Egg Noodles with a Coating of Parmesan and Chili; and Burmese Chicken Curry with Limes and Tomatoes; to Parsleyed Soba Noodles with Tofu and Avocado Tempura; Steamed Coconut Cupcake; Pan-Seared Bonito on Green Lentils; and Deep-Fried Squid in Rice-Powder Batter, New Wave Asian offers exotic dishes that are as palate pleasing as they are appetite satisfying. Enhanced with fabulous color photography of finished dishes, and a very useful basic cooking instructions, New Wave Asian is the perfect choice for any personally or professionally adventurous, multiculturally oriented, kitchen cookbook collection.

Harvard Common Press
535 Albany St., Boston MA 02118
1-888-657-3755 www.amazon.com

Eual Mae Dore and Marcelle Bienvenu's Cajun Kitchen (155832240X, $22.95) presents Dore's dishes foods which have been part of her family's heritage for over half a century. Gumbos, jumabalyas, and etouffees fill a cookbook which is packed with regional variations not seen in competing Cajun oriented cookbooks. Clifford Wright's Real Stew (1558321993, $18.95) presents three hundred dishes from nearly fifty countries from Morocco to Brazil and the U.S. Chapters organized by ingredient make it easy to locate a dish based on its foundations, while the international touch makes for an appealing collection.

Chelsea Green Publishing
Box 428, White River Junction VT 05001
1-800-639-4099 www.amazon.com

Two new cookbooks provide something different. The bilingual Spanish/English title Secrets Of Salsa (1931498202, $14.95) provides a salsa cookbook packed with intriguing dishes, from Mango Salsa to Marinated Lemon Haberno Salsa. Some are fiery; others mild many are unique to this book. Lorel Nazzaro's Pesto Manifesto (1931498950, $14.95) provides a range of dishes using pesto as a foundation. This goes beyond the usual use of pesto as an addition to pasta dishes, presenting many of the author's own inventions such as a savory pesto quiche and even sweets, as in a friend's pesto cookie recipe. Highly recommended for fellow pesto lovers.

A Sweet Quartet
Fran Gage
North Point Press
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
0865476098 $27.50 1-888-330-8477

Four basic elements make desserts possible: sugar, almonds, eggs, and butter. A Sweet Quartet blends a culinary history of these ingredients with a recipe guide and travelogue. No color photos, but the easy recipes don't need them, while the culinary history of dessert-making is fascinating, adding a literary touch to the results.

The Art Of Romanian Cooking
Galia Sperber
Pelican Publishing Company
PO Box 3110, Gretna, LA 70054
1565549295 $21.00 1-800-843-1724

Romania is usually included in general cookbooks about the Baltic nations, so it's refreshing to see it earn its own acclaim in The Art Of Romanian Cooking, a specialty cookbook which covers everything from appetizers such as Fried Cheese Papanasi to Tongue with Olives. The historical commentary accompanying many of the dishes is also fascinating and inviting.

A book can be many things: a source of information, a record of events, a provider of inspiration, a means of recreation, something upon which to build a life, or merely pass the time.


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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